Did Saban Coach In The NFL?

Many people are curious if Nick Saban, the legendary college football coach, ever coached in the NFL. The answer is no – Saban has never been a head coach in the NFL.

Saban’s History

Saban is one of the most accomplished college football coaches of all time. He has won six national championships, including five at Alabama. But before he was dominating college football, he was a head coach in the NFL for two seasons.

Saban’s College Coaching

Saban began his college coaching career as an assistant at Kent State University in 1974,
helping the Golden Flashes win their first-ever MAC Championship that season. He then spent the next
five seasons as an assistant coach at Syracuse, West Virginia, Ohio State, and Navy. In 1980, he was
hired as the defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan by Bo Schembechler. During his
time at Michigan, the Wolverines won the Big Ten Championship in 1981 and 1983.

Saban’s NFL Coaching

In the National Football League (NFL), Nick Saban is best known as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, where he led the team to a record of 15-17 in two seasons (2005-2006). He has also served as an assistant coach with several NFL teams, including the Houston Oilers, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots.

Why Saban Returned to College

In 2006, Nick Saban was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and led them to a 6-10 record. He then returned to college coaching the next year. Why did he make this decision?

The NFL’s Lack of Stability

Saban is no stranger to the NFL, having coached the Miami Dolphins for two seasons from 2005 to 2006. He compiled a record of 9-7 in his first season and then went 6-10 in his second and final year with the team.

It was widely speculated that Saban would return to the college ranks after his stint with the Dolphins, and that is exactly what he did. He accepted the head coaching job at Alabama in 2007, and he has been there ever since.

So why did Saban leave the NFL? In short, it seems that he was simply not happy with the lack of stability that exists in the NFL.

In college football, coaches typically have much more control over their programs than they do in the NFL. They can hand-pick their assistant coaches, they have longer contracts, and they are not subject to the same kind of volatile environment that exists in the NFL.

For Saban, it seems that coaching in the NFL was simply too much of a gamble. He was not willing to put his career on the line for a league that is known for firing coaches on a whim. It is hard to blame him for this decision, as it seems like he made the right call in retrospect.

More Control in College

In the NFL, Saban would have less control over his players and staff. In college, he can handpick his staff and has more leeway in how he runs his program. He also can recruit players to fit his system better. In the NFL, teams draft players and they have to play them regardless of whether they are a good fit for the team’s system.

Saban’s Future

Though Saban has not coached in the NFL, many people have speculated about his future in the league. Some have even gone so far as to say that Saban is the best coach in the NFL, regardless of his experience. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why people think Saban could be a great NFL coach.

Retirement

Rumors have been swirling that Nick Saban may retire after this season. He has done an incredible job at Alabama, but is it time for him to move on?

There are a few things to consider when thinking about Saban’s future. First, he is 66 years old. That is getting up there in age, especially for a coach. Second, he has already won six national championships. That is an impressive accomplishment, and he may not be able to top it. Finally, he has recently said that he doesn’t want to coaching forever.

So, what does the future hold for Nick Saban? Only time will tell, but it seems like retirement could be on the horizon.

Returning to the NFL

Saban coached in the NFL for five seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Michigan State Spartans, and Houston Oilers. He compiled a 34-24-1 record in the NFL, with one playoff appearance. After being fired by the Oilers in 1982, Saban returned to college football, coaching at Ohio State for a season. He then returned to Syracuse for four seasons, before leaving again to become defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots in 1991. In 1995, Saban became head coach of the Michigan State Spartans.