With homecoming next, Saban, family love Tuscaloosa

October 14, 2009

By Ken Rogers

Alabama coach Nick Saban is preparing for his third homecoming game at the university.

With his team 18-0 in the regular season since 1997 and currently ranked No. 2 in the country, you could say things are going pretty well.

The coach, who earlier this year agreed to a contract extension that will have him leading the Crimson Tide through the 2017 season, said his family is happy in Tuscaloosa.

“We love it here. Terry loves it here,” Saban said after practice Wednesday. “We have a nice home, a beautiful place. We’ve developed a lot of relationships with a lot of people, which I think is the most important thing about feeling comfortable about a place.”

Saban said in his business, the love he gets from fans “is conditional, mostly whether you win or lose.”

“We understand that very well, but we also appreciate all the positive energy that everyone has given us,” Saban said. “Not only do we enjoy being the coach here, but we also enjoy very much being a part of the community, we enjoy very much giving back to the community, and that’s very important to us, so other people understand they are important to us.”

Told a couple in Hartselle recently named their son after him, Saban thought a moment and shook his head.

“Certainly it’s an honor to have anybody named after you, but I can think of a whole lot of … people they could have chosen that might have
been a little more positive image for their child growing up,” he said.

“I guess if they never see me at practice, and they never see me get angry, and they never see the not so good things, I guess it’s OK. And if we ever lose a game I hope they’re not disappointed.”