Nick Saban coaching record: Reflecting on the career of one of college football's most successful coaches

Crissy Froyd

Nick Saban coaching record: Reflecting on the career of one of college football's most successful coaches image

It's the dawn of a new era in college football. Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement Wednesday following a season in which the Crimson Tide came up just short of a national championship appearance.

Saban created a dynasty at Alabama, one that continued with an SEC title in 2023. He leaves the program as arguably the best college football coach in history.

MORE: Why Saban is retiring after seven national titles

Nick Saban college coaching record

A look back at Saban's head coaching career in college football offers almost too many accomplishments to list, including an impressive overall record of 292-71-1.

That includes seven national championships, 11 SEC championships and one MAC championship. He also won the SEC Coach of Year award five times, the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award winner twice and the Walter Camp Coach of the Year award twice, and he was twice named the Associated Press Coach of the Year.

Saban, now 72 years old, joined Alabama as head coach starting in 2007 and spent 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide. After winning his first national championship with LSU in 2003, he led Alabama to the title in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020.

His head coaching career began at Toledo in 1990, but he resigned after just one season to join head coach Bill Belichick's staff with the Cleveland Browns. In 1995, he began a five-year stint as head coach at Michigan State.

From 2000 to 2004, he served as the head coach for LSU. Then he spent two seasons with the NFL's Miami Dolphins before being hired by Alabama.

In 2023, in what we now know to be the last season of Saban's coaching career, he guided Alabama to a 12-2 record. The 27-20 overtime loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day marked the final game of his career.

According to Chris Low of ESPN, Saban informed the team of his retirement on Wednesday afternoon. He will be remembered for his tough-nosed coaching style, and he heads into retirement with prestige firmly affixed to his name.

Year School Games Wins Losses Ties
1990 Toledo 11 9 2 0
1995 Michigan State 12 6 5 1
1996 Michigan State 12 6 6 0
1997 Michigan State 12 7 5 0
1998 Michigan State 12 6 6 0
1999 Michigan State 11 9 2 0
2000 LSU 12 8 4 0
2001 LSU 13 10 3 0
2002 LSU 13 8 5 0
2003 LSU 14 13 1 0
2004 LSU 12 9 3 0
2007 Alabama 13 7 6 0
2008 Alabama 14 12 2 0
2009 Alabama 14 14 0 0
2010 Alabama 13 10 3 0
2011 Alabama 13 12 1 0
2012 Alabama 14 13 1 0
2013 Alabama 13 11 2 0
2014 Alabama 14 12 2 0
2015 Alabama 15 14 1 0
2016 Alabama 15 14 1 0
2017 Alabama 14 13 1 0
2018 Alabama 15 14 1 0
2019 Alabama 13 11 2 0
2020 Alabama 13 13 0 0
2021 Alabama 15 13 2 0
2022 Alabama 13 11 2 0
2023 Alabama 14 12 2 0

MORE: Five possible candidates for next Alabama head coach

Nick Saban bowl game history

Saban is the only coach to win seven national titles in the poll era, six of which came at Alabama.

Here's a look at Saban's complete bowl game and postseason history between Michigan State, LSU and Alabama.

Saban and the great Bear Bryant remain the only coaches in the history college football to win an SEC championship at two different schools.

Year Team Bowl game Final result
1995 Michigan State Independence Bowl vs. LSU, 45-26 L
1996 Michigan State Sun Bowl vs. Stanford, 38-0 L
1997 Michigan State Aloha Bowl vs. Washington, 51-23 L
2000 LSU Peach Bowl vs. Georgia Tech, 28-14 W
2001 LSU Sugar Bowl vs. Illinois, 47-34 W
2002 LSU Cotton Bowl vs. Texas, 35-20 L
2003 LSU Sugar Bowl (BCS Championship) vs. Oklahoma, 21-14 W
2004 LSU Capital One Bowl vs. Iowa, 30-25 L
2007 Alabama Independence Bowl vs. Colorado, 30-24 W
2008 Alabama Sugar Bowl vs. Utah, 31-17 L
2009 Alabama BCS Championship vs. Texas, 37-21 W
2010 Alabama Capital One Bowl vs. Michigan State, 49-7 W
2011 Alabama BCS Championship vs. LSU, 21-0 W
2012 Alabama BCS Championship vs. Notre Dame, 42-14 W
2013 Alabama Sugar Bowl vs. Oklahoma, 45-31 L
2014 Alabama Sugar Bowl vs. Ohio State, 42-35 L
2015 Alabama Cotton Bowl; CFP National Championship vs. Michigan State, 38-0 W; vs. Clemson, 45-40 W
2016 Alabama Peach Bowl; CFP National Championship vs. Washington, 24-7 W; vs. Clemson, 35-31 L
2017 Alabama Sugar Bowl; CFP National Championship vs. Clemson, 24-6 W; vs. Georgia, 26-23 W
2018 Alabama Orange Bowl; CFP National Championship vs. Oklahoma, 45-34 W; vs. Clemson, 44-16 L
2019 Alabama Citrus Bowl vs. Michigan, 35-16 W
2020 Alabama Rose Bowl; CFP National Championship vs. Notre Dame, 31-14 W; vs. Ohio State, 52-24 W
2021 Alabama Cotton Bowl vs. Cincinnati, 27-6 W; vs. Georgia 33-18 L
2022 Alabama Sugar Bowl vs. Kansas State, 45-20 W
2023 Alabama Rose Bowl vs. Michigan, 27-20 L

 

Crissy Froyd

Crissy Froyd Photo

Crissy Froyd is a content producer at The Sporting News covering college football, the NFL and other sports. A graduate of LSU in 2021, she has nine years' experience writing about football across all levels, specializing in quarterback analysis and the NFL Draft. Her work previously appeared in USA Today, Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports, among other outlets.