“I Never Planned on Becoming a Coach”: Nick Saban Reflects on the Unexpected Beginning of His Coaching Journey
Nick Saban, widely regarded as one of the greatest college football coaches in history, recently opened up about his unlikely path into coaching — a journey that, according to him, wasn’t even part of the original plan. In a candid reflection, Saban admitted, “I never planned on becoming a coach,” offering insight into how a series of chance events and influences led him to a legendary career he never envisioned.
Long before the national championships and the dominance at Alabama, Saban was just a small-town kid from Fairmont, West Virginia. Like many young athletes, he had dreams of playing football at the highest level. He played defensive back at Kent State University in the early 1970s under head coach Don James, a man who would unknowingly shape Saban’s future more than anyone else. Though Saban was competitive and disciplined, his sights were never set on a career on the sidelines. In fact, he originally envisioned a life far from the football field — perhaps in business or some other professional field that didn’t involve the constant pressures of coaching.
Everything changed when tragedy struck. In 1972, one of Saban’s teammates and close friends at Kent State, linebacker Don Bucciarelli, was shot and killed during the infamous Kent State shootings. That moment, Saban says, made him realize how fragile life can be and encouraged him to rethink what really mattered. Though he stayed involved with football, it was never with the intention of becoming a coach. It was only after graduation, when Don James offered him a graduate assistant position, that Saban got his first taste of coaching. Reluctantly, he accepted.
“It wasn’t something I saw myself doing forever,” Saban has said in various interviews. “I was doing it because it was an opportunity — not because I had a passion for coaching at the time.”
However, something changed once he was in the coaching environment. The structure, the competition, the strategy — they all appealed to Saban’s driven personality. Over time, his role as a graduate assistant turned into a more serious career path. He climbed the coaching ladder steadily, with stops at various schools including Syracuse, West Virginia, Ohio State, Navy, and Michigan State. Eventually, he earned his first head coaching job at Toledo in 1990, and then moved on to greater success with Michigan State, LSU, and finally Alabama — where he would cement his legacy with multiple national championships.
Saban credits much of his coaching philosophy to lessons learned early in his unplanned career. Discipline, preparation, and an unrelenting focus on process became hallmarks of his approach. While other coaches fixated on wins and rankings, Saban stressed what he called “The Process” — a methodical focus on consistent effort and improvement, regardless of outcome.
Today, Saban is viewed not only as a football coach, but as a leader and mentor who has influenced generations of players and assistant coaches. And yet, he often returns to that early truth: that he never set out to be a coach in the first place. His story is a reminder that sometimes, the most meaningful paths in life are the ones we never intended to walk.
For aspiring coaches and athletes, Saban’s unexpected journey offers a valuable lesson — that purpose can emerge from chance, and passion can be found in places we never imagined. His success wasn’t born of a childhood dream, but of adaptability, hard work, and a willingness to follow opportunities wherever they led.
Looking back, Nick Saban may not have planned on becoming a coach, but there’s little doubt that football — and the countless lives he’s influenced — are better because he did.