We can all argue that Nick Saban is the modern day Bear Bryant. The expectation levels are set so high at The University of Alabama, but Saban has been overachieving since taking over the program in 2007. He is constantly taking Alabama football to a whole new level.
There’s a saying that, “Life is not only a race, it’s a journey.” Human beings live and they learn. Moreover, our trials and tribulations build us so that we all can take on life’s challenges to succeed in everything that we do.
Saban is all business. He understands that every minute counts, and recruiting athletes from different high schools around America is like majoring in marketing. In order to be successful consistently, one has to be able to sell themselves and the program. This means telling the player a story about the school and what it wishes to achieve. In addition, one must be specific when explaining why you’re interested in that particular player, and how you believe he will fit in with your football program and university.
Now, some of you may think Alabama gets the best of the best because its “Alabama”, but in reality, Saban succeeds in the recruiting game for a number of reasons. His marketing skills, his ability to evaluate athletes that fit what he wants to achieve and staying in contact with recruits — either who are committed to Alabama or are interested in playing for him.
Staying in contact with committed players as well as recruits that are still in the process of looking for the best school that is the correct fit is just as important as the marketing side of selling the program. There are three reasons for this:
1.) It’s important to develop relationships with the players to a point where you can call them up to go visit and talk about issues that are on your mind.
2.) Coaches want to give more insight on how the specific recruit will be beneficial for the program, and where they’ll fit within the scheme to give them the best chance to succeed as an athlete.
3.) Confidence. No matter what school you’re the head coach at, you must always have confidence in how well your team performed the past couple years — both on and off the field.
Recruiting athletes is a tough job if you really think about it, but it’s also rewarding if you understand what you want to achieve and have an idea of the core foundations of the program.
Saban has become such a mastermind that he has developed a sense of understanding that, “You only get one shot” when having the opportunity to land top-tier recruits. It’s simple. You either have the ability to earn the recruit’s — and family’s — attention or you don’t.
Saban knows to not to waste any opportunities that present themselves. That’s why he has supreme confidence and succeeds at everything he puts his mind to.
Michael Cannady is a contributor for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter at: @mike_can21
