Nick Saban outlines the essential skillsets for coaching athletes in the college football world: "I've been kicking 'em in the a** a little bit more"
Alabama coach Nick Saban always has nuggets of wisdom about coaching young players. He outlined how he deals with his players in the Crimson Tide's fall camp.
Nick Saban's team won the All-Star Sugar Bowl against Kansas last season and finished with an 11-2 record. But they didn't win the national championship, which is very important to the coach as he has already won 7.
He has been making his young team work hard during camp and sharing his carrot-and-stick coaching approach.
“You got to know when to kick ‘em in the a**, you got to know when to pat ‘em on the a**, and you got to know when to not say anything … I think I’ve been kicking ‘em in the a** a little bit more than I’ve been patting ‘em on the a**.”
The Crimson Tide missed out on the college football playoffs last year, an abomination to Saban. He knows which areas need improvement and was very clear when discussing his team's shortcomings.
"I just think we need to get more guys in the offensive line to be able to play winning football and we need to add depth to the group. We have maybe, six, seven guys that I think are in play but we need a lot more than that to get through the season."
Alabama has been getting help to motivate the youngsters. Recently, baseball great Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds joined them in camp to uplift them and to address the topic of gambling.
Has Kirby Smart overtaken Nick Saban?
The enduring narrative in college football currently is the one that speculates whether Georgia coach Kirby Smart has overtaken Nick Saban as the No. 1 coach in the SEC and the country.
Smart learned his craft under Nick Saban for several years, and they won national championships together.
Smart left for Georgia, and his tenure as head coach has been an unqualified success. He revitalized the Bulldogs and has won back-to-back national championships.
A handful of coaches have learned their craft under Nick Saban's coaching tree. This includes names like Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher and Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss.
Saban will try to reclaim the title of finest football coach from Kirby Smart and restore the Alabama Crimson Tide to their rightful place atop the college football rankings.