Alabama Crimson Tide
Nick Saban's legendary college coaching career: By the numbers
Alabama Crimson Tide

Nick Saban's legendary college coaching career: By the numbers

Updated Jan. 10, 2024 10:55 p.m. ET

After 28 seasons as a college football head coach, Nick Saban is reportedly retiring. The future Hall of Famer ends his career with seven national titles, six coming with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

With arguably the greatest college football coach of all-time calling it a career, FOX Sports Research breaks down the numbers from his unparalleled career:

Nick Saban retiring after legendary run at Alabama

292: He recorded 292 wins as a head coach, the sixth-most in FBS history, and 12th-most in college football history regardless of division.

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7: He won seven national titles (six with Alabama, one with LSU), the most of any head coach in college football history.

249: His 249 wins with Alabama and LSU are the second-most of any coach in SEC history, trailing only Bear Bryant (292).

201: His 201 wins at Alabama is tied with Georgia's Vince Dooley for the second-most wins at a single school in SEC history (Alabama's Bear Bryant had 232).

24: Saban won more games at Alabama (201) than in the 24 seasons between Bear Bryant's retirement and Saban's hiring (171 wins).

16: Alabama won at least 10 games in 16 straight seasons under Saban, the longest streak by any program in the AP Poll era (since 1936).

84.7: His 84.7% win percentage as Alabama and LSU head coach is the highest of any coach in SEC history.

[Related: Nick Saban leaves the widest gaping hole in college football history]

0: In 28 seasons as a college football head coach, he never had a losing season.

109: Saban has led his teams to 109 weeks ranked as No. 1 in the AP Poll. the most by any coach in college football history.

44: During his Alabama tenure, he had more first-round picks (44) than losses (29).

104: Recorded a 104-48 record against ranked opponents in his entire head coaching career, the most wins vs AP-ranked opponents of any coach in college football history. 

9: Saban has beaten the AP No. 1 team nine teams in his career, the most by any coach in college football history.   

12: Won 12 conference titles in his career (11 SEC, 1 MAC)

19: Recorded 19 bowl game wins, the latter being the third most of any coach all-time (Joe Paterno had 24, Bobby Bowden had 22).

Nick Saban retiring after 17 seasons with Alabama

1: One of four coaches in the common draft era to have more than 160 players selected in the NFL Draft.

49: Has had 49 first-round draft picks, the most of any coach in the common draft era.

15: Has had a first round pick in 15 straight drafts and will likely make it 16 straight later this year; the last time he did not have a player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft was 2008.

108: Went 108-9 at Bryant-Denny Stadium as Alabama's head coach.

117: In 17 seasons with Alabama, he went 117-18 in SEC play (201-29 overall.

[Related: Deion Sanders, others across sports world react to Nick Saban's retirement]

21: In his six national championship seasons with Alabama, he went 21-2 against top-10 opponents.

37: Since 2008, Saban led Alabama to a 37-13 record against AP top 10 opponents.

127: His Alabama teams from 2011-20 (10 years) posted a 127-12 record with five national championships and seven SEC titles.

128: From 2012 to 2021, his teams (10 years) won 128 games (13 losses), which is the best of any major-college school over a 10-year span since Bud Wilkinson at Oklahoma in the late 1940s through the late 1950s.

4: Has coached four Heisman Trophy winners, tied with Notre Dame's Frank Leahy for the most winners coached; he's also the only coach in SEC history with multiple Heisman winners.

2: Saban is a two-time AP Coach of the Year winner. He also won both the Eddie Robbinson Coach of the Year award and Walter Camp Coach of the Year award two times each.

3: Only coach to win a national title in three different decades.

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