Who coached Alabama before Nick Saban? A list of Alabama football HC's before 2007

Who coached Alabama before Nick Saban? This is a question that, for obvious reasons, a lot of younger Crimson Tide fans might not be able to answer. It's because it seems like Saban's been coaching their team for forever--but that is clearly further from the truth.

But ever wondered who are the ones that came before? Well, we're going through the Crimson Tide's football coaching history in this article and seeing whether these other coaches were also legendary in their own right.

Alabama Head Coaches before Nick Saban

There are simply too many Alabama head coaches before Saban to fit in this one article. After all, the program is among the oldest in the NCAA, having been founded way back in 1892.

So for this article, we're only going to take the most noteworthy coaches that we can find out of everyone. So please don't be surprised if we miss someone you're fond of. Ready? Here we go!

E.B. Beaumont (1892) - The first-ever Alabama football coach
Allen McCants (1897) - The only technically "undefeated" Crimson Tide coach in school history, even if he only ever coached a single game.
Wallace Wade (1923-1930) - Finished with a 61-13-3 record, winning 3 national titles and 4 conference titles. Also holds the fourth-highest winning percentage in school history, tied with Frank W. Thomas (1931-1946)
Paul "Bear" Bryant (1958-1982) - Won the most conference titles (13) and holds the most national championships (six) in Crimson Tide history alongside Saban
J.B. "Ears" Whitworth (1955-1957) - Has the unceremonious title of Alabama coach with the lowest win percentage out of everyone before and after him (.200 win pct%)

Out of all those who coached Alabama before Nick Saban, these are the most notable for their overall achievements.

Worst coach in Alabama football history - Ears Whitworth

If we're going just by sheer win percentage, this not-so-fun title goes to J.B. "Ears" Whitworth. He coached Alabama for three seasons and only finished with a 4-24-4 record overall. Despite this; however, he was far more successful at the school he came from, Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State).

His 1955 season coaching the Crimson Tide was punctuated by a 14-game losing streak, during which the team went winless (via RollBamaRoll). He was also infamous for benching all of the senior players that season, which included future Green Bay Packers legend Bart Starr.

When did Nick Saban start coaching Alabama?

Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007 after spending several seasons with the Miami Dolphins, the LSU Tigers, and the Michigan State Spartans.

Ever since taking the lead coaching job at Alabama, Saban has recorded an insane 128-13 record (.908 winning pct%), along with seven SEC titles in total and six national championships. This helped him tie fellow legendary Crimson Tide coach Bear Bryant when he won his last one in 2020.

Longest serving Alabama football coach

Out of all those who coached Alabama before Nick Saban, only one stands out in terms of longevity: Paul "Bear" Bryant.

He spent a total of 25 years with the program, enough to earn him six championships and 232 total wins. While Saban is almost always considered the greatest tactician in program history, he still often tips his hat to the legendary coach. Speaking to the SEC Network, he had this to say about Bryant's legacy:

“I still think, in my mind, he’s the greatest coach of all time," Saban said. "I still look up to him just that way. If it wasn’t for the legacy of what he did at Alabama, there would be no way that we could have the success that we’ve had at Alabama."

Saban's legacy is unfazed. His career records and accomplishments will be forever recorded in the history books.