Nick Saban is arguably the greatest college football coach of all time. On Jan. 10, he officially retired.
Saban's career was filled with accolades and achievements. He won the SEC 11 times, the MAC once, and he won a record seven National Championships. He was often recognized for his coaching greatness, as he won the AP College Football Coach of the Year, the Walter Camp Coach of the Year, and the Paul Bear Bryant Award twice each. Saban also won the George Munger Award, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year, and many other coaching accolades.
The head coach was known as a defensive-minded genius, and he coached his athletes hard. His players loved him for it, though, and Saban-led teams were always disciplined and talented. The talent that he developed was really what most illustrated his coaching genius, as he had endless amounts of stars and tons of talented teams.
Saban was around (and successful) for so long that it can be hard to remember exactly what seasons were his best. For that reason, we decided to rank the best teams that Nick Saban coached.
Saban started his head coaching career at Toledo, he spent time at Michigan State, and he even dipped his toes in NFL football when he coached the Miami Dolphins. The coach is definitely most known for his time at LSU and Alabama, though, and those programs dominate this list. LSU and Alabama were always some of the best teams in the nation when they were led by the legendary coach.
10. Alabama, 2021 (13-2)
The most recent team on this list comes in 10th place for the greatest teams that Nick Saban ever coached. Saban didn't win a championship in his last three seasons in Tuscaloosa, but he did come close in 2021. This team was one of three Saban-led teams that made the big game but weren't able to win it all.
Alabama was usually known for their defensive talent and their star running backs and receivers. Quarterback was not usually a position of strength in Saban's early days, but that was not the case in his later days at Alabama.
The team was especially strong at the quarterback position in 2021, as Bryce Young became the fourth player to win the Heisman Trophy under Saban. Young had a great year while throwing to Jameson Williams and John Metchie and handing off to Brian Robinson Jr. The 2021 season can also be looked at as the season Alabama handed the reins over to Georgia as the supreme team in college football, as the Bulldogs have been dominant since they beat Alabama in the National Championship game that year.
9. Alabama, 2016 (14-1)
The 2016 season was Saban's first time making but losing in the championship game. Don't get it twisted, though; the 2016 version of Alabama was still a championship-caliber team. This team was smack dab in the middle of two championship teams, but they lost to Clemson in the National Championship game.
With 36 total touchdowns, Jalen Hurts was one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. The team was more stacked on defense, though. Rueben Foster, Jonathan Allen, Dalvin Tomlinson, Daron Payne, Marlon Humphrey, and Minkah Fitzpatrick were just a handful of the extremely talented players on the defensive side of the football.
The Crimson Tide was perfect for most of the year, and they handed out a number of beat-downs to great teams. Alabama had blowout wins over ranked programs like Florida, Tennessee, USC, and Texas A&M.
8. Alabama, 2018 (14-1)
Alabama lost to Clemson in the National Championship game in both the 2016 and the 2018 seasons. But the 2018 loss hurt a little bit more for the Crimson Tide since it was the second time they were bested by the Tigers in the College Football Playoff era.
Still, the 2018 team was stacked with talent. Tua Tagovailoa started on a full-time basis for the first time in this season, and he also had his best year. The quarterback threw 43 touchdowns on 3,966 yards. He even had Jalen Hurts and Mac Jones backing him up.
The skill positions were perhaps the best that they had ever been or would ever be under Saban in this season. Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs, Najee Harris, Jerome Ford, and Brian Robinson Jr. were all in the running back room for Alabama. The team's receivers consisted of Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith. A defensive tackle was even perhaps the biggest star of them all, as Quinnen Williams was impossible to block.
The 2018 team had perhaps more potential than any Alabama team ever, and they won an impressive 14 games. Unfortunately, they fell short when it mattered most. This was the fourth-straight season that Alabama made the College Football Playoff National Championship game.
7. LSU, 2003 (13-1)
LSU was the team Saban first came to prominence with and the team he first won the National Championship with. Saban coached the Tigers from 2000-04, and he won it all with the team in his fourth season in Baton Rouge. In 2000, Saban inherited a three-win Tigers team, and he completely turned the program around. Nobody scored more than 24 points on Saban's first championship team, which set the standard for how his defenses would operate for years to come.
The 2003 team didn't have tons of star power in comparison to Saban's Alabama teams, but there was still plenty of talent on the Tigers' roster. In fact, 19 starters from this team went on to the NFL by 2006.
Corey Webster was a beast on defense, as he had seven interceptions. Jack Hunt added four interceptions in his own right, and the Tigers forced tons of turnovers. The LSU championship team is Saban's worst only because they were split national champions with USC.
6. Alabama, 2012 (13-1)
A.J. McCarron is an Alabama legend, and this was arguably his best season. The team also had a great running back room, though. Eddy Lacy led the way with 1,322 rushing yards, while T.J. Yeldon added 1,108. Hard-nosed football and an emphasis on the running game were staples of Nick Sabin, and this season emphasized that.
C.J. Mosley was the team's best defensive player. One of the best linebackers in program history, Mosley had 107 total tackles this season. This season ended with Alabama winning the National Championship over Notre Dame by a score of 42-14. Not only was it another example of a blowout win to become champions, but it was also the only time that Saban ever won back-to-back national championships.
5. Alabama, 2017 (13-1)
The 2017 Crimson Tide are arguably the most iconic with Nick Saban at the helm. All college football fans remember Saban's decision to bench Jalen Hurts in favor of Tua Tagovailoa for the second half of the National Championship game, which ultimately led to yet another championship victory for Saban.
Before his benching, Hurts was unstoppable on the ground. Damien Harris, Calvin Ridley, and Bo Scarbrough all put up big numbers as well.
4. Alabama, 2011 (12-1)
After 2011, Nick Saban had established himself as a legend in the coaching game. His 2011 team was his third team to be crowned as national champions. Trent Richardson and Eddy Lacy formed one of the best running back tandems ever, and A.J. McCarron was a great winner in his own right at the quarterback position.
Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower both had double-digit tackles for a loss numbers as teams only scored 8.2 points per game against Alabama. This year's championship was particularly special, as Alabama beat Saban's old team, LSU, by a score of 21-0 in the BCS National Championship game.
3. Alabama, 2015 (14-1)
Prior to this season, Alabama had won three National Championships in a four-year span, but they then went two seasons without being the best team in the nation. The 2015 team is the team that got them back on track. Derrick Henry was arguably the best player Nick Saban ever coached, and therefore, the 2015 Crimson Tide were one of Saban's best teams.
In his Heisman season, Henry put up monstrous numbers with 2,219 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns. His backup, Kenyan Drake, was effective when he was given opportunities as well. At the quarterback position, Jake Coker wasn't great, but he was underrated, and he knew how to utilize Calvin Ridley.
Alabama lost to Ole Miss early in this season, and it forced them to have a rare moment of being ranked outside of the top 10. Alabama quickly bounced back, though, and they ended their season with a win over Clemson in one of the best National Championship games ever.
2. Alabama, 2009 (14-0)
Mark Ingram was Nick Saban's first true megastar, as the running back won the Heisman Trophy in 2009. Ingram helped Saban win his first championship with Alabama, but he was far from the Crimson Tide's only talented player. Trent Richardson was coming into his own in 2009, and Julio Jones was bound for stardom.
Jones didn't put up gigantic numbers, as the team won without great quarterback play. Greg McElroy only had 2,508 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air, but he did a good job of game-managing.
Per usual, a great defense led the way for Alabama this season. The team made Tim Tebow look average in the SEC Championship game before they beat Texas in the BCS National Championship game.
1. Alabama, 2020 (13-0)
The 2020 edition of Alabama was the best ever under Nick Saban. The team was dominant in their 13 wins despite the complications that came with playing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mac Jones (4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns) had an incredible year throwing the ball to Jaylen Waddle, John Metchie, and DeVonta Smith. The latter was so good that he won the Heisman Trophy despite playing the receiver position. Smith was only the second pure receiver to win the award.
Besides the SEC Championship game, none of Alabama's games were particularly close. This includes a 52-24 win over Ohio State in the National Championship game. Alabama scored 48.5 points per game, and it led to a nation-leading +29.1-point differential.
This was Saban's final championship-winning team, but it was also the best team he ever coached. This team was special as it was the offense, not the defense, that led the way for Alabama.
Follow Us
Subscribe