Despite disappointing finish, Nick Saban 'really, really proud' of 2023 team

PASADENA, Calif. – Nick Saban started his postgame press conference by stating what was obvious in Alabama’s locker room after a 27-20 overtime loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

The Crimson Tide was disappointed. 

Alabama (12-2, 8-0 SEC) lost on the final play as quarterback Jalen Milroe was stopped at the 2-yard line, ending the team’s 2023 season in Pasadena. And while Saban shared his players’ disappointment, the head coach made sure to tell them how memorable the year was.

“One thing that I told them in the locker room after the game, this is one of the most amazing seasons in Alabama football history,” Saban said, “in terms of where this team came from, what they were able to accomplish and what they were able to do, winning the SEC Championship, and really, really proud of this group.

“I just wish that I could have done more as a coach to help them be successful and help them finish, and all we can do now is learn from the lessons that sometimes failings bring to us.”

The Tide was able to overcome a Week 2 loss to now-No. 3 Texas, which also lost in the Sugar Bowl semifinal, and a poor showing at South Florida the ensuing week to win its next 10 games. That included four ranked victories over Ole Miss, Tennessee, and LSU and then-No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game to earn a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Alabama improved over the course of the season, especially on offense and even more so at the quarterback position with Milroe’s progress after he was benched in Week 3. Starting in the month of November, Milroe accounted for 17 total touchdowns compared to one interception and helped lead the Tide to its win over the Bulldogs and a CFP appearance.

Some of the issues that plagued Alabama earlier in the year seemed to reappear on Monday in the semifinal game, and the team was unable to reach the national title, marking the first 3-year stretch at UA without a championship for Saban. But this group, written off early in the season, overcame a lot to reach a point few expected, which is why Saban was so proud.

“I don’t look at it necessarily from winning and losing – you won the championship, you can’t win the championship,” Saban said. “As a coach, you’re always trying to get your team to improve and be the best that they can be, and I think this team probably improved from the South Florida game and the Texas game early in the season as much as any team I’ve ever coached.

“That takes a lot of hard work. A lot of people being very committed to doing things that they need to do to self-assess and improve their game, and all these players bought in on this team and did it in first-class fashion.

“That’s why I think for me as a coach, maybe not for everybody else, it’s one of the teams that I’ll always remember the most and always be the most proud of.”

Sitting beside Saban in the presser, Milroe gave the praise right back to his head coach.

“Coach means a lot to us,” Milroe said. “We play even harder knowing that Coach has the belief system in us. Just listening to him talk, he talks about how proud he is of this team.

“We have a lot of things we can be proud of from this season. Could have easily lingered and past mistakes could have easily went in the tank when things weren’t good, but the biggest thing was we continued to improve, continue to have singular focus in our approach when it came to preparation and when it came to attacking the task at hand.

“There’s a lot of things to be proud of, but one thing I am proud of is how much Coach Saban harped on his belief system on us.”

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