Nick Saban details importance of Bryce Young, Will Anderson not becoming complacent

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban told reporters on Sunday just how important Bryce Young and Will Anderson’s leadership has been to the team this offseason. Despite both achieving career-highs in 2021, Saban said neither Tide star is settling into complacency.

“Will and Bryce are great, they do a good job every day in practice, they’re very focused on what they want to do and what they want to accomplish,” Saban said. “These guys are sort of driven individuals, that’s why they’ve had the success that they’ve had to this point. I haven’t seen any indication at all that they’re not continuing with that same drive to be the best that they can be. They continue to set examples for the other players on the team.”

Following a Heisman Trophy-winning year, Bryce Young told reporters at SEC media days that the season was a failure since the team lost to Georgia in the national championship.

“There’s stuff we can build off of but ultimately, we failed last year,” Young said. “Now it’s on us to take that, internalize that feeling, learn from it, and turn it into something constructive. Use it as fuel so we don’t have to feel it again.”

At 70 years old, Saban knows a lot about dodging complacency.

Saban shares motivation to continue coaching

Nick Saban has the most enviable resume of any college coach but he’s not slowing down. Considering he’s already captured seven national titles, it’s no surprise reporters often ask, what’s keeping him in the game?

Saban joined his former quarterback Greg McElroy on Always College Football and gave an in-depth answer to what’s motivating him to continue coaching heading into the 2022 season.

“I just can’t stand to see people not do things the right way,” Saban said. “It drives me absolutely crazy. Because my whole goal as a coach is to get everyone to reach their full potential, to be the best version of themselves that they can be, personally, academically, and athletically. It’s almost like you’re sabotaging yourself if you’re not trying to be that.

“Somebody has to create sort of a path for you to be able to, call it the process, call it whatever, for you to be able to accomplish the goals that you have and to show you how you have to edit your behavior to do it. It just drives me crazy, maybe I’m a perfectionist, I don’t know … Is that what motivates me? I guess … I don’t like losing, I think you know that.”