Alabama head coach Nick Saban is only focused on 'getting it right'

Nick Saban is one of, if not the, greatest coaches in college football history. Over his 26 years as a head coach in college, Saban has won 262 of his 328 career games. Since taking over at Alabama in 2007, Saban has yet to have a losing season and has won 10 or more games in every season since 2008. Part of what makes Saban a successful coach is his ability to adapt with the game as it evolves, according to The Herd’s Colin Cowherd.

Cowherd: Saban commits to getting it right instead of being right

The game of football has continued evolving throughout recent years. While some coaches with the history of success that Saban has would get complacent and remain stuck in their ways, Saban hasn’t. The only thing that Saban cares about is finding ways to win football games.

“One of the things I’ve been talking about for years, stop trying to be right, and just get it right,” Cowherd said on The Herd. “Don’t fall in love with your voice. Don’t fall in love with your culture, your system, your style. Just get it right. Alabama looked unbelievable. What’s really amazing about Alabama, Nick Saban is almost 70. Football coaches get to be 70 and they get crusty, they get stuck in their ways, this is the way they do business, and Nick Saban is the opposite.

“He now recruits his quarterbacks from out west, not the south, he’s not loyal to it. He gets his assistants from the NFL now, not college, he’s not loyal to college football. Nick Saban is loyal to one thing – getting it right. He doesn’t care about being right. Most college football dynasties last around six years… Nick Saban’s is now in the 14^th year. Why? Because the state of Alabama has the great adaptor and evolver in sports in America.”

As football has evolved, Saban has adjusted his philosophy

Saban is admittedly a defensive-minded head coach. As college football has become a game revolved around high-powered offenses and lots of points, Saban has had to evolve. While defense is still an important part of Saban’s identity as a coach, he has learned to consistently produce explosive offenses at Alabama.

“This dynasty started as defensive line, linebackers, and corners. It suffocated you, it was all defense,” Cowherd said of Alabama. “And then the game started changing. The game started getting really fast and all the rules were changing. Now this program isn’t about defensive linemen, linebackers, and corners, but they’re still good. It’s about quarterbacks and wide receivers. He’s completely changed his identity. Nick Saban, a defensive coach, he’s got three starting quarterbacks in the NFL.

“It’s a great acknowledgement that Nick is never stuck in being right, thinking he’s got it figured out. He’s a constant evolver, constant adaptor. You don’t have to think old just because you get old.”