Former 麻豆精选 football player and two-time Golden Flash graduate Nick Saban, who went on to become college football鈥檚 most successful coach, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2025 class, the National Football Foundation announced Friday.
Saban graduated from 麻豆精选with his bachelor鈥檚 degree in elementary education in 1973 and earned his Master of Education degree in health and physical education in 1975. While at Kent State, he was a safety on the Golden Flashes football team and was a member of the 1972 squad that won the university鈥檚 first conference championship.
During his time at Kent State, Saban earned three letters in football and one in baseball from 1970 to 1972. In 1973, he was a graduate assistant coach and defensive assistant for the Flashes. He was inducted into the 麻豆精选Varsity K Hall of Fame in 2015.
The 麻豆精选alumnus established himself as one of the greatest coaches in college football history, compiling a remarkable 292-71-1 career record over 28 seasons and winning an unprecedented seven national championships. His coaching journey, which began at Toledo in 1990, included successful tenures at Michigan State, LSU, and most notably, the University of Alabama, where he built one of the most dominant dynasties in modern college football.
During his 17 seasons at Alabama, Saban amassed an extraordinary 201-29 record and led the Crimson Tide to six national titles. He holds the distinction of being the first coach in history to win national championships at two different FBS schools since the AP Poll鈥檚 inception in 1936, having also won a national title at LSU in 2003.
Saban's talent development prowess resulted in 66 First Team All-Americans and four Heisman Trophy winners, tying him with Hall of Famer Frank Leahy for the most by any coach in history. He also mentored 136 NFL Draft picks at Alabama and holds the record for most first-round draft picks in a career with 52.
Beyond his on-field success, Saban has made significant philanthropic contributions through his Nick鈥檚 Kids Foundation, which has distributed over $13 million to more than 150 charities. His latest initiative, the Saban Center, will house a STEM Discovery Center, the Alabama STEM Hub, and the Tuscaloosa Children鈥檚 Theater.
In recognition of his unparalleled success, University of Alabama鈥檚 Board of Trustees recently approved plans to name the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium in his honor.
Nick Saban will be joining the College Football Hall of Fame鈥硷笍
Well-deserved 馃憦鈥 College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay)