ESPN: Is Nick Saban The Best Ever?

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Yes, although I don't like it. He has 5 titles in his last 11 years of college coaching. All during the BCS or College Football Championship era. Which means he didn't win his conference and go to the Sugar bowl to play the Big 12 champion while the next best team in the land played in a different bowl and then a bunch of voters picked who won the Championship. This is how Bear Bryant and all those old coaches won their titles.

God knows what would of happened if Bear had to play Michigan or Ohio State or whoever was ranked #2 the years he won his titles. Odds are he wouldn't have six titles in his 38 years of coaching.

What Saban is doing is Amazing!
 

He's awfully good. "Best/Greatest" rankings always seem too static to me. He's clearly one of the best recruiters and organizers of recent vintage and he's working with a scholarship limit that wasn't in place in earlier eras, so that makes his accomplishments even more impressive. In short, he brings in solid talent and puts that talent in a place where it can succeed.
 

Yes, it's hard to argue against at this point. I don't like him, but there's no one better.
 

Probably sucks for LSU fans to watch him be so successful at one of their rivals.
 


He is definitely top three for sure. He'll get to #1 (if not already) before he retires.
 


Best major college football coach ever? Sure, he's in the conversation. The best college football coach ever, in my opinion, is Larry Kehres.
 

50PoundHead said:
He's clearly one of the best recruiters and organizers of recent vintage and he's working with a scholarship limit that wasn't in place in earlier eras, so that makes his accomplishments even more impressive.
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Was thinking the same thing. This isn't 40 years ago where the best programs could accumulate so much more of the potential talent. Yet somehow he recruits (and more importantly, develops) so well year after year.
 



I'm always hesitant to label anyone as the best ever especially when they are from totally different eras. But he absolutely has to be considered among the all-time college coaching greats at this point and should be on everyones short list for best ever.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Best major college football coach ever? Sure, he's in the conversation. The best college football coach ever, in my opinion, is Larry Kehres.
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His career was amazing:

- From 1992 to 2012 (21 seasons), his teams lost a total of 12 games.
- In his last 17 seasons, his teams failed to make it to the D-III championship only twice.
- 11 National Championships
 

He's still behind Bierman, who won five national titles in eight years - BUT, in those days teams played only eight games, on average, which is a far cry from the 14 or 15 games you have to play today. Bierman just missed a sixth national title with Tulane in 1931, but Saban did win his title at another, earlier stop - at LSU.
 




Any discussion of this matter has to include Bill Snyder.
 


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