USA Today names Nick Saban as Coach of the Decade
Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
In terms of “Coach of the Year” awards, Nick Saban has been the victim of his own success. When looking at his entire body of work for the last decade, however, USA Today came to the only logical conclusion and tabbed him as their Coach of the Decade.
Saban lost only 15 games over the last ten seasons against 123 wins, an absurd 89% winning percentage. Alabama was ranked #1 at some point in every season of the decade, and finished there in four of the ten seasons. Despite this success, he was selected for only two major national Coach of the Year awards, the Bobby Dodd in 2014 and Walter Camp in 2018. The fact that he was voted SEC Coach of the Year only once over that period is even more ridiculous.
The justification for all of those snubs was the elite talent on the roster that produced 83 draft picks starting in 2010, which criminally undersells the most critical part of coaching in college: player development.
Saban’s famed “Process” is almost solely focused on getting each individual to do the things necessary to improve on a daily basis, and not just where football is concerned. Mothers send their babies to Saban because he will make sure they get an education, as evidenced by the strong performance in Academic Progress Rate. Saban is most proud of the family atmosphere among former players, so many of whom have stayed around the program and aided in mentoring the next crop of young superstars.
Saban maintains that he wants to coach for a long time, making any reflection on his accomplishments premature. He currently boasts the #2 recruiting class in the country for the 2020 cycle and shows no signs of slowing down. Still, it’s nice to see him get some well deserved national recognition.
Roll Tide.
In terms of “Coach of the Year” awards, Nick Saban has been the victim of his own success. When looking at his entire body of work for the last decade, however, USA Today came to the only logical conclusion and tabbed him as their Coach of the Decade.
Who else could possibly be in consideration for such an honor than the coach who won four national titles over that span?
Saban lost only 15 games over the last ten seasons against 123 wins, an absurd 89% winning percentage. Alabama was ranked #1 at some point in every season of the decade, and finished there in four of the ten seasons. Despite this success, he was selected for only two major national Coach of the Year awards, the Bobby Dodd in 2014 and Walter Camp in 2018. The fact that he was voted SEC Coach of the Year only once over that period is even more ridiculous.
The justification for all of those snubs was the elite talent on the roster that produced 83 draft picks starting in 2010, which criminally undersells the most critical part of coaching in college: player development.
Saban’s famed “Process” is almost solely focused on getting each individual to do the things necessary to improve on a daily basis, and not just where football is concerned. Mothers send their babies to Saban because he will make sure they get an education, as evidenced by the strong performance in Academic Progress Rate. Saban is most proud of the family atmosphere among former players, so many of whom have stayed around the program and aided in mentoring the next crop of young superstars.
Saban maintains that he wants to coach for a long time, making any reflection on his accomplishments premature. He currently boasts the #2 recruiting class in the country for the 2020 cycle and shows no signs of slowing down. Still, it’s nice to see him get some well deserved national recognition.
Roll Tide.
