"I was anxious": Nick Saban makes feelings known about the difficulties he faced after taking the job at Michigan State
Nick Saban's career as a college head coach is the model for everyone who dons a headset and walks the sideline. Early in his career, though, the soon-to-be College Football Hall of Famer learned some valuable lessons at a stop he's not particularly remembered for.
Saban took over for Michigan State before the 1995 season, and, in his five go-rounds with the Spartans, went 34-24-1. The effort drew the attention of LSU, where he won a BCS national championship in 2003.
The success he enjoyed during the latter half of his career can be credited to his experiences in East Lansing.
"When I was at Michigan State, I mean, the media made me Attila the Hun," Nick Saban said in an episode of "The Pivot Podcast" released on Tuesday. "Like I was this mean, angry coach that was getting on everybody all of the time. It was a tough job at Michigan State." (14:20)
What was it like for Nick Saban at Michigan State?
Michigan State went 5-6 the year before Nick Saban showed up. He boosted them as high as No. 5 in the Associated Press poll during his final campaign with the team. Things weren't always so easy for Saban with the Spartans, however.
"I was nervous, I was anxious, I always thought I was gonna say the wrong thing," Saban said. "I didn't develop any relationships with people in the media, so they made me out to be this ... bad guy. I would go home and I'd say, 'I'm not really like that, man. It just bothers me that everybody's making me out to be this way.'"
So how did things turn around for Saban, who won national crowns across three different decades? He went 292-71-1 as a coach and retired as the NCAA's active leader in wins. His seven national championships are the most ever.
"I started changing," Saban said. "I started developing relationships, taking time with people, having them in my office, talking to them," Saban said. "It was very, very helpful. That's one of the reasons I always had a really good relationship with ESPN, because I was one of the first to let them come to practice.
"I think they really help your image, which helps recruiting, which helps all kinds of things."
Nick Saban is regarded as the greatest recruiter the sport has ever seen. He coached 66 first-team All-Americans, four Heisman Trophy winners, and an astounding 136 NFL Draft picks. His 52 career first-round draft picks are the most of any college coach ever.
Maybe, most impressively, Nick Saban never had a losing season over 28 years as a coach. He had more than 20 Coach of the Year awards during his career too.