Nick Saban: The Best Business Partner in Sports

The legendary Alabama coach built not only a program in Tuscaloosa but also a business. Boardroom breaks down the monetary mark he left on the Tide, college football & more.

@boardroom Nick Saban brought in billions of dollars to the University of Alabama. #nicksaban #alabamafootball #collegefootball #crimsontide ♬ original sound – Boardroom

Say it ain’t so. The day has finally come in Tuscaloosa, where Nick Saban is no longer the captain of the Crimson crew.

After 17 seasons as the mainstay at Alabama, the 72-year-old officially announced his retirement this week, sending shockwaves throughout the college football community. It also may have brought relief to some in the space, as Saban and the Tide have dominated the sport for the last two decades to the tune of six national championships and nine SEC titles. That’s not to mention two more SEC crowns during his stint at LSU, where he also claimed his seventh natty.

And while there’s a bit of uncertainty around the Tuscaloosa regarding who will fill Saban’s shoes, one thing that is crystal clear is that the godfather of college football is walking away with heavy pockets.

According to USA Today, Saban was paid roughly $124 million at Alabama, while his other head coaching stints (LSU, Michigan State, Toledo & NFL) brought in another ~$25 million, per Forbes. And he could’ve had more after signing an eight-year, $93.6 million contract extension in 2022 that would have kept him with the program through 2030. That deal gave him back the title of highest-paid coach in CFB after his protégé, Georgia coach Kirby Smart, and Clemson‘s Dabo Swinney briefly overtook him.

Yes, Saban has had a lucrative career — to say the least — but as much money as he’s made for himself, he’s made even more for others.

Boardroom’s Gabe Oshin breaks down why Nick Saban wasn’t just one of the best college football coaches of all time but also the best business partner in all of sports.