"No disrespect to Alabama": 7x national champion Nick Saban reveals the biggest regret of his HOF career
Seven-time national champion head coach Nick Saban spoke about the biggest regret of his legendary coaching career on Tuesday.
Saban is considered to be one of, if not the best college coach of all time. He won a title with LSU and then went on to win six at Alabama. However, on The Pivot Podcast, Saban said his biggest regret was leaving LSU (44:30):
"When I left LSU, that was probably, professionally, the biggest mistake I ever made. Not because we didn’t have success at Miami—I enjoyed coaching in Miami.
"But I found out in that experience that I liked coaching in college better because you could develop players personally, academically, athletically and all that a little more than in pro ball."
Saban continued:
"No disrespect to Alabama—it's not Alabama versus LSU. It's just... Jimmy Sexton stood on a balcony when I was getting ready to leave LSU and make a decision about whether I went to Miami or stayed at LSU.
"And he said, 'What do you want your legacy to be as a coach? Do you want to be Vince Lombardi or do you want to be Bear Bryant?' And without hesitation, I said, 'Bear Bryant.' And he said, 'What are you doing going to Miami?'"
Of course, Saban lasted just two years in the NFL before taking the Crimson Tide head coach job.
Saban ended up winning six more national championships at Alabama to cement his legacy. It ended up helping him be named to the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame.
Nick Saban wouldn't coach in college again
Former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said he won't coach in college again. Saban retired due to the change in the landscape of college football with NIL. Saban said, via NBC Sports:
“I loved coaching pro ball, and if I was going to coach today, based on the circumstances in college and in the NFL, I would coach in the NFL, because all those things in college have changed."
Nick Saban said he was happily retired and likely won't be on the sidelines anytime soon. He finished his college coaching career with a 292-71-1 record.