Nick Saban is retiring, ESPN’s Chris Low reported on Wednesday. He’ll leave behind one of the greatest legacies college football has ever seen.
The longtime staple of top-25 rankings and bowl season has spent 28 of his 72 years on this planet as an FBS (formerly Division I-A) head coach. A stint at Toledo led an assistant job with the Cleveland Browns. That job under Bill Belichick helped make him the top dog at Michigan State. From there he went to LSU, did another stint in the pros, then came back to preside over a dynasty at the University of Alabama. No matter where he went — as long as it wasn’t the NFL — he won.
Saban revived a blue chip program and made it one of the most feared in the country. And while his career may not have ended with the kind of success he’d hoped, the legacy he leaves behind paints an unmistakable picture. He’s one of the greatest head coaches to ever take the sideline.
Let’s look at some proof to figure out where he stacks up against other legends like Bear Bryant or Woody Hayes.
National Championships: First
- 1. Nick Saban, LSU and Alabama: 7
- 2. Bear Bryant, Alabama: 6
- t-3. Woody Hayes, Ohio State: 5
- t-3. Bernie Bierman, Minnesota: 5
- t-5: Frank Leahy, Notre Dame: 4
- t-5: John McKay, USC: 4
SEC championships: Second
- 1. Bear Bryant, Alabama and Kentucky: 14
- 2. Nick Saban, Alabama and LSU: 11
- t-3. Johnny Vaught, Ole Miss: 6
- t-3. Vince Dooley, Georgia: 6
- t-3. Steve Spurrier, Florida: 6
Total wins at a Division I-A/FBS program: Sixth
- 1. Joe Paterno, Penn State: 409 (46 seasons)
- 2. Bobby Bowden, Samford, West Virginia and Florida State: 377 (44 seasons, 12 wins negated by the NCAA)
- 3. Bear Bryant, Maryland, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Alabama: 323 (38 seasons)
- 4. Pop Warner, Georgia, Iowa State, Cornell, Carlisle, Pittsburgh, Stanford and Temple: 319 (49 seasons)
- 5. Amos Alonzo Stagg, Springfield, Chicago and Pacific: 314 (57 seasons)
- 6. Nick Saban, Toledo, Michigan State, LSU, Alabama: 292 (28 seasons)
- 7. Mack Brown, Appalachian State, Tulane, North Carolina and Texas: 276 (34 seasons)
College Football Playoff appearances: First
- 1. Nick Saban, Alabama: 7
- 2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson: 6
- t-3. Kirby Smart, Georgia: 3
- t-3. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma: 3
- t-3. Ryan Day, Ohio State: 3
First-round draft picks coached: First
- 1. Nick Saban, LSU and Alabama: 49
- 2. Joe Paterno, Penn State: 33
- 3. Mack Brown, North Carolina and Texas: 23
- t-4. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma: 18
- t-4. John McKay, USC: 18
No. 1 overall draft picks: Pretty far down the list, actually
Surprisingly, Saban has only coached one top overall draft pick in nearly 30 seasons. That was the most recent one — quarterback Bryce Young. He’s had six top-five selections since 2009.
