by Monte Burke
First published 2015
Nick Saban stands as college football's most influential and polarizing figure. As Alabama's head coach, he commands the highest salary in the sport while delivering unprecedented results: four national championships, packed stadiums, and a pipeline of NFL talent. Monte Burke conducted over 250 interviews to trace Saban's journey from his early days walking door to door with his father recruiting Pop Warner players to his current dominance in Tuscaloosa. The book reveals pivotal moments that shaped the man behind the coaching legend: his near attendance at the Kent State rally, his tumultuous climb through assistant coaching positions, his complex relationship with Bill Belichick, and his controversial departures from Michigan State, LSU, and the Miami Dolphins. Burke explores how Saban developed his famous "Process" philosophy and built championship programs that transformed college football. Through extensive research, the author presents a multifaceted portrait of a coach whose uncompromising pursuit of perfection has made him both revered and reviled across the sport.
Genres: biography, american-fiction, sports, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: biography, sports-drama
Setting: Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Kent State, Michigan State, LSU, Miami Dolphins
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
352 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster