Did Nick Saban Ever Coach In The NFL?
Contents
Did Nick Saban ever coach in the NFL? How did he make the transition from college to the pros?
Saban’s History
Nick Saban is one of the most successful college football coaches of all time. He has won 6 national championships, and his teams have had incredible success. However, many people don’t know that Saban actually got his start in the NFL.
Saban’s collegiate career
Saban began his college coaching career as an assistant at Kent State University in 1972. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1974. In 1975, Saban became the defensive coordinator at Syracuse University. In 1977, he returned to Kent State as the head coach of the football team. In 1978, he led Kent State to an undefeated season and a berth in the NCAA Division I-A playoffs.
In 1979, Saban moved to the West Virginia Mountaineers as the team’s defensive coordinator. In 1980, he returned to Michigan State as the team’s defensive coordinator. He held that position until 1982, when he was promoted to head coach.
Saban compiled a record of 34-24-1 as Michigan State’s head coach. In 1987, he was hired as the head coach of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. However, he coached only one season with the Browns and compiled a record of 5-11. He then returned to college coaching, serving as the head coach of Louisiana State University from 2000 to 2004. He led Louisiana State to a 13-1 record and a victory in the national championship game in 2003.
Saban’s NFL career
Saban briefly served as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League (NFL) in 2005, compiling a record of 9–7. He led the team to its first playoff appearance since 2000 and its first division championship since 1994, but was unable to prevent a late-season collapse that saw the Dolphins lose their final three games after starting the year with a record of 9–3.
After his season with the Miami Dolphins, Saban returned to collegiate coaching, where he has remained ever since. He has led Alabama to five more national championships – in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2017 – giving him a total of six national titles overall, which is tied for the most by any head coach in history.
Why Saban Never coached in the NFL
Nick Saban is one of the most successful coaches in college football history, but he has never coached in the NFL. Some people think that Saban is too good for the NFL, but the real reason is much more complicated. Let’s take a closer look.
Lack of interest
Saban has always been very clear about his lack of interest in coaching in the NFL, saying “I’ve always kind of had my sights set on college football,” He’s also spoken about how the NFL game is “much more of a business” than the college game, which Saban sees as “still kind of a sport.”
In an interview with ESPN in 2014, Saban elaborated on his reasons for not coaching in the NFL, saying: “It’s always been my dream and goal to be a head coach in college football. I’ve never really had any aspirations to be anything other than that…I’m just not sure I’m smart enough to do all that stuff relative to pro football.”
While some have speculated that Saban’s fear of failure might be a reason why he’s never made the jump to the NFL, Saban has always maintained that he simply prefers coaching at the college level.
Saban’s preference for college coaching
In an interview with USA Today, Saban elaborated on why he has never coached in the NFL, saying that he simply prefers coaching at the college level.
“I just think the kind of players that we have and develop in college are a little bit different,” Saban said. “I just think there’s a different kind of relationship that you can have with them relative to helping them grow and develop not only as football players but as people, which I think is really special.”
Saban also mentioned that he enjoys the recruiting process in college football, and that he feels like he has more control over the program when coaching at the collegiate level.
Saban’s Success
Nick Saban is an iconic figure in the world of college football. He has won six national championships, including five with the University of Alabama. Saban is widely regarded as one of the greatest college football coaches of all time. But did you know that he also coached in the NFL?
Saban’s success at the collegiate level
Nick Saban is widely regarded as one of the greatest college football coaches of all time. He has led his teams to six national championships, including five at the University of Alabama. Saban is also the only coach in NCAA history to win a national championship with two different schools.
Saban’s success at the collegiate level has led many to wonder if he would ever make the jump to coaching in the NFL. Saban has consistently said that he has no interest in coaching in the NFL, and that he is happy with what he is doing at the collegiate level.
There have been rumors from time to time that Saban might be interested in coaching in the NFL, but so far he has remained true to his word and stayed at the collegiate level.
Saban’s potential success in the NFL
Nick Saban is considered one of the all-time great college football coaches. He has won six national championships, including five with Alabama. Saban also coached in the NFL for two seasons with the Miami Dolphins, but he was not very successful. Some people think that Saban could be successful in the NFL if he had a good team, but others think that his style of coaching would not work in the NFL.