The following biographical sketch was compiled at the time of induction into the Academy in 2014.

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Nick Saban, was born October 31, 1951 in Fairmont, West Virginia and is a 1973 graduate of Kent State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business. He later earned a master’s degree in sports administration from Kent State in 1975. In the ensuing years, Saban became one of America’s most renown football coach.

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Following several years of speciality coaching positions on the collegiate and professional level, Saban’s first head coaching position came at the University of Toledo in 1990. He became head coach at Michigan State in 1995 following a four year stint with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns as their defensive coordinator. In 2000, Saban was named head coach at Louisiana State University. After leading the LSU football for five seasons, including the 2003 national championship team, Saban assumed the duties as head football coach of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins in 2005 for two seasons before being named the head coach for the University of Alabama in 2007.

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After the 2013 BCS National Championship Game, Saban joined Frank Leahy, Paul “Bear” Bryant and John McKay as the only coaches to win four national titles in the modern era. Saban’s uncompromising dedication to excellence in every phase of the program has resulted in the school’s 13th, 14th and 15th national championships and the foundation has been set to yield long-term success for the Crimson Tide. A five-time National Coach of the Year, Saban has achieved resounding success as a head coach and has earned a reputation as an outstanding tactician, leader, organizer and motivator.

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In addition to his success on the football field, Saban is also a successful author and philanthropists. Saban co-authored Tiger Turnaround in 2001, documenting his first two years as head coach at LSU. He then co-authored How Good Do You Want to Be? in 2005, a book that offers real-life principles for success at work and at home. In addition to their work as fundraisers for LSU’s Student-Athlete Academic Center, the Sabans supported several charitable and civic projects in Louisiana. The largest of those efforts was with the Children’s Miracle Network, for which Terry and Nick Saban raised more than $100,000 per year.

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At Michigan State, the Sabans started the Nick’s Kids Fund, which they have continued in Tuscaloosa, a vibrant example of their continuing concern for disadvantaged children. Since the Sabans arrived in Tuscaloosa, more than $4 million has been distributed to more than 150 charities through the Nick’s Kids Fund. The Sabans also built 15 homes with Project Team Up and Habitat for Humanity following the April 27, 2011, tornado that stuck Tuscaloosa.

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