Nick Saban is a principled man who lives his life by the teachings of his parents. Most notably, he always remembers three specific things his dad taught him while growing up. These are lessons he carried into his career, and they helped him become one of the greatest college football coaches in history.
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Most people learn the majority of their life lessons while growing up and living with their parents. From making a mess in the kitchen to not being ready in time for school, there are constant opportunities for parents to teach their children. And it’s important to teach the right lessons, because they stick with kids and help them navigate future challenges.
Saban’s upbringing was no different. His father was tough on him growing up, and that left a lasting impact. In fact, he didn’t fully understand why his father was so strict until he got older and began putting that advice into practice. But what was that advice?
Have compassion for other people
The first lesson that Saban’s father taught him isn’t hard to follow. All it takes is being kind and showing compassion to others. But some people really struggle to imagine or relate to what others are going through. They’re called narcissists.
That’s why Saban’s dad always hammered home the golden rule of life.
“Treat people like you would like to be treated, which I think was really important in developing relationships with players and family,” Saban shared on Pure Athlete.
It’s an important rule of life to remember. It also helped the coach develop great relationships when it came to recruiting. It’s no wonder Alabama landed top recruits for years, because Saban was treating them with the utmost respect.
However, he also shared that he had to learn this lesson the hard way.
“I went through some really, really tough lessons of disrespecting people sometimes when I was growing up and paid the price for it,” Saban said.
Accountability
The second thing that Saban’s father instilled in him as a child was to have a sense of accountability. It’s perhaps one of the most important things to remember in life. One should never get complacent with where they are or what they’re doing.
“I don’t care if you’re washing a car, fixing a tire, cutting the grass, there was always a reckoning at the end of the day. How did you do that? Did you do it well? If you didn’t do it well, you had to do it again,” Saban shared.
The annoying cycle eventually turned into a habit for Saban. He would always analyze and re-analyze his decisions as a coach, with the sense that there was always room for improvement. That’s why even in games where Alabama was up big, most would still see Saban coaching his heart out.
It’s Not About Beating the Other Guy
The last thing that Saban remembered his father teaching him growing up was to never settle. Specifically, he told him that it’s not about beating the other guy; it’s about making sure you’re the best you can be. It’s something he consistently emphasized as a coach, too.
“That was one of the key things that, through all the years, 17 years at Alabama, I think 16 of them we won 10 or more games. That was always what I was able to instill in the players. It’s about you creating value for yourself, not just about beating the other guy. If it’s about beating the other guy, the other guy is determining the standard of excellence for you. Not you.”
For Saban, he could never understand what this lesson meant as a kid. When they would go on massive winning streaks in Pop Warner and high school, his dad still yelled at him for things he did wrong. This is because he wanted his son to know that there’s a standard of excellence, and just because he was winning didn’t mean that he was meeting that standard.
All in all, they’re three great lessons for anyone to keep in mind. Compassion, accountability, and drive are all qualities that can make someone excellent at their job. Maybe we should all take a page out of Saban’s playbook and carry those lessons into our own lives as well.
