Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at the University of Alabama, a position he has held since the 2007 season. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other universities: Louisiana State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Toledo. His eight-year contract totaling US$32 million made him one of the highest paid football coaches, professional or collegiate, in the United States at the...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth31 October 1951
CityFairmont, WV
CountryUnited States of America
I would say that if Jason Taylor had played in a 3-4 system somewhere, he would have been a Hall of Fame outside linebacker. There is no question about that based on the athletic ability the guy has. He's smart and he's got great instincts to learn things better than I ever hoped for. It gives us an opportunity to move him around and use him in a lot of different ways.
He played with a lot of poise and he executed. It's a positive that the results were gotten by a systematic approach of doing the right things, and it paid dividends in results for him. I hope he gains confidence in his ability to do that in the future.
I thought it was a very disappointing first half for us, to make some of the mistakes we made and get in a hole. Obviously we need to improve our ability to play in the beginning of games.
I think having poise and the ability to execute is critical to play in tough situations and we have to find a psychological balance that we can do that,
I don't think anybody goes out there not knowing what to do, ... I don't think anybody doesn't know they didn't do it right after it happens. I just think that you are talking about a lot of different multiples and adjustments that have to occur. They happen quickly in the game and I think the more repetition you get on things like that, the more confidence the players gain in their ability to adjust.
From an intangible standpoint, it's about things like effort, mental toughness, the ability to stay focused and execute, and be a little relentless in the way you try to go about your work, ... We're gladiators out there. We're modern-day gladiators and that mental toughness has got to permeate your team.
It's the trademark of both guys in terms of their endurance and ability to get better as the game goes on. That's something we'd like to continue to utilize in the future if we can.
I think that he needs to play some, I really do. With only one exhibition game under his belt, he probably needs to play a little bit more in this game.
There's an old saying, ... If a rattlesnake bites itself, it still dies.
He had a lot of tough yards out there.
I've looked at all of them. Just because you're on a diet doesn't mean you can't look at the menu, right?
The analogy that I like to use is it doesn't do a lot of good to buy a condo on the beach that the mortgage is so high on it you can't put any furniture in it. You have no couch or TV. And a part of this process is to be able to inspect that condo and make sure that it's worth what you think it might be worth.
That is the challenge for me, to keep answering them the same way.
I really tried to make this about our team, coming back here to play, I really do feel this was coming home to play a game and it was exciting for me. It was exciting to be back in Tiger Stadium.