In 14 seasons at Alabama, Nick Saban has amassed a 165-23 record. Along the way, he’s won seven SEC championships and six national titles. That record includes an undefeated 2020 season that ended with the College Football Playoff National Championship.
So, it’s safe to say Saban can stay with the Crimson Tide for as long as he pleases.
Alabama knows as much, too. The university just offered its coach a three-year contract extension. The new deal will keep him in Tuscaloosa through the 2028 season. If Saban sees the contract all the way through, he’ll be 77 when it concludes.
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The deal will pay Saban $8.425 million annually. He’ll also make $800,000 each season from 2022 through 2025. Add it all up and that’s $70.6 million over eight seasons.
Saban implied this contract will take him until retirement. Here’s what he said regarding the new deal.
“Terry and I are pleased and happy to sign another contract extension that will keep us in Tuscaloosa through the end of our career. Our family calls Tuscaloosa and the state of Alabama home, it’s a place where our roots now run deep. This agreement gives us the chance to continue to impact the lives of the young men and their families who choose to play football and get an education at Alabama.”
Of course, Saban’s massive deal once again highlights the ongoing controversy around paying college players. Alabama does have a terrific track record of getting players to the draft, but that’s only a dozen or so players in a given year. Everyone else will simply have the opportunity to contend for a national title on a regular basis, which is no small feat.
For his entire career, Saban has an all-time record of 256-65-1. Before arriving in Tuscaloosa, he had coached at Toledo, Michigan State, and LSU. He also won a title in 2003 with the Tigers.
It’s a safe bet he’ll win one or two more before he calls it a career.
