He has gotten this question more than he would like, but it keeps coming.
Nick Saban turns 72 on Halloween of this year and continues to coach college football. He enters his 17th season for the University of Alabama in the fall. Saban is pursuing his seventh national championship for the Crimson Tide and eighth overall for his head coaching career. He joined Joel Klatt on The Joel Klatt Show via Fox Sports to discuss the challenges of coaching in today’s game. Saban said it is the chase more so than the capture that keeps him motivated to guide young men despite his age.
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He continues to preach on the significance of producing a well-rounded individual.
“It is the process that you go through to try and build a team, the process of what you do to try to build individuals to have the culture they need to be the best version of themselves, and you view the game, that is what you cover and see, but the work ethic, discipline, the pride in performance, and all those things that go into helping them be the best version of themselves carry over into life as well,” Saban said to Klatt. “So that is the part I enjoy. The process of developing young people to have a chance to be successful. It is like climbing a mountain. It is a challenge. It is an individual challenge and a collective challenge for your team.”
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He loves to win, but Saban wants his athletes to win in life. He has been a proponent of excellent academics, leadership in the community, and finding ways to better your surroundings. If a player did not make it to the National Football League from Alabama, Saban helped that individual land a job in corporate America. He’s mentioned several times he would walk away from college football when his tactics to inspire players to be the best version of themselves do not take root.
For now, the athletes take what Saban says into consideration.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
