Nick Saban explains how he has learned to 'bite his tongue,' control his anger on the sidelines

Alabama’s players should be thankful Nick Saban runs the show and not his wife, Terry. During an appearance on ‘Hey Coach & the Nick Saban Show,” the Crimson Tide head coach recalled his wife’s passionate advice to him following Alabama’s early-season issues.

“As I’ve gotten a little older, I’m probably not as volatile as I used to be,” Saban said. “One of my prayers in church on Sunday is, ‘Don’t get angry and control your temper and don’t let your emotions make you do something that you’ll be sorry for.’ I’ve been a little laid back and, at times, it’s been hard to bite my tongue relative to some of the things that we’ve done.

“I got a lecture [from my wife] about, ‘Why don’t you show a little more intensity on the sidelines when the players aren’t doing exactly what they should do?'” Saban said. “When we didn’t have a snap count on third down and it hit the guy in the leg and we’d taken a couple sacks and I had about enough of it, I thought that was a good time.”

While Saban finally released some rage this past weekend, the Crimson Tide gave him little to be angry about. The team looked excellent in its 40-17 win over Mississippi State. In the victory, Alabama exploded for 357 yards while holding the Bulldogs to just 271.

The win is Alabama’s third-straight since falling to Texas in Week 2. Despite the team’s U-turn, Saban didn’t escape some more coaching advice when he came home from the win.

“[Terry] waited up for me to get home so that was a good thing,” Saban said on Monday. “It was one of the first games she’s missed and didn’t go to since we’ve been here. I think it is the first game, actually. She says you can see what’s happening a lot better on TV, so I got coached up quite a bit when I got home.”

Saban will need the help. Alabama will face a grueling test against Texas A&M on the road this weekend. After falling to Miami in Week 2, the Aggies have rattled off three-straight wins, most recently defeating Arkansas in convincing fashion.

Texas A&M’s defensive pressure has been especially impressive, tallying 13 sacks already this season. The winner of the contest will hold sole possession of first place in the SEC West. Saban intends on bringing his best to outing, including his outfit, which is hand-picked by Terry, of course.

“She picks most of the stuff out, puts it together and sometimes tells me what I should wear,” Saban admitted.

Alabama and Texas A&M will collide at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on CBS.