For some, winning is a pleasant yet rare surprise that helps to make life a bit more interesting. For Nick Saban, however, it was a baseline requirement that was necessary to separate the wheat from the chaff.
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He’s the most celebrated head coach in college football history, rivaled only by his predecessor, Paul “Bear” Bryant. At one point in time, he even figured to be the next hotshot coach in the NFL, but now that he’s firmly in the midst of retirement, Saban can’t help but look back on his venture into the pro scene as nothing more than a mistake.
“I think, sometimes, you have to learn about yourself,” Saban explained before suggesting that coaches can have a much larger impact on player’s lives at the collegiate level.
“When I left LSU, that was probably, professionally, the biggest mistake that I ever made. Not because we didn’t have success in Miami, because I enjoyed coaching in Miami, but I found out in that experience that I like coaching in college better because you could develop players personally, academically, athletically, and all that, a little more than in pro ball.”
For Saban, the “status” and prestige that came with being an NFL coach was the main attraction, but it wasn’t fulfilling. The Dolphins’ lack of quarterback talent certainly didn’t make things any easier on him, and in the end, he came to the realization that his agent at the time, Jimmy Sexton, had been right all along.
Being in the NFL had never aligned with his personal goals and aspirations. It was a misstep from day one, and in hindsight, even Saban himself is unsure as to why ever gave it a try.
“Jimmy Sexton stood on the balcony, when I was getting ready to… make a decision about whether I went to Miami or stayed at LSU, and he said, ‘What do you want your legacy to be, as a coach? Do you want to be Vince Lombardi or do you want to be Bear Bryant?’ And without hesitation, I said, ‘Bear Bryant.’ And he said, ‘Then what are you doing going to Miami?'”
“I went anyway,” said Saban as he shrugged and threw his hands up in the air. It may not be what LSU or Miami fans want to hear, but it’s the truth.
Saban would only hold his head coaching position with the Dolphins for a total of two seasons. Miami won just a total of 15 games throughout that time span, which prompted Saban to pursue a potential solution.
He showed interest in a promising yet injured quarterback by the name of Drew Brees, but the team’s doctor was unwilling to clear Brees’ physical examination. As a result, the Dolphins went in a different direction, and ultimately, so too did Saban.
The doctor’s decision that day is now heralded as one of the greatest ‘butterfly effect’ moments in all of sports, as it put Saban on the path towards Alabama and Brees on the path towards the New Orleans Saints. Suffice to say, everything worked out in the end for everyone except the Dolphins and the Tigers, who, to some extent, have never been the same since.
