Did Alabama HC Nick Saban make the "untouchables" list? A closer look at 3 SEC coaches with the coldest seats in college football

Nick Saban may be the real definition of untouchable in college football. Remaining at a coaching job for 16 years in the volatile world of college football is not a thing you come across every day.

And even after 16 years, Saban's job is under no threat of being terminated. As the 2023 college football season is about to start, the 71-year-old has been tagged, along with two other SEC coaches, as untouchable.

Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, and Brian Kelly were named among the 15 head coaches in the FBS considered untouchable in the CBS Hot Seat Rating. But what makes them untouchable?

What makes a coach untouchable?

Although, in an actual sense, no coach is really untouchable, there are a number of factors that put a coach in that status. First, you have to be winning to be considered untouchable.

Nobody likes to lose. And nothing frustrates fans and the alumni like a losing team. So a coach has to be a consistent winner to secure his seat.

Allstate Sugar Bowl - Alabama v Kansas State

No amount of motivation and tactical excellence can win without actual talent. A coach must know how to recruit big talents to be deemed untouchable. This involves having a strong network of contacts and a convincing story to tell about the program they manage.

Top these up with genuine fan love and support, and a stable program, what you'll have is a coach who's not under any threat of being shown the door.

Exploring why Nick Saban and two other SEC coaches are untouchable

It is obvious why Nick Saban is untouchable at Alabama. Although the school had a storied football program prior to his arrival, his contributions in the past 16 years has been tremendous.

His record of 16 bowl wins, six national titles, eight conference titles, and nine division titles are hard to match, much less beat. He has also produced four Heisman Trophy winners and a whooping 45 consensus All-Americans. It's no surprise that he was rewarded with a new contract that will retain him at Alabama through 2029.

Smart's tenure has made Georgia a winning powerhouse in the SEC and across the entire college football world. In seven years, he has achieved an 81-15 overall record, 55-7 in the SEC, and an 8-2 bowl record. In the process, he has secured two SEC championships and 2 national championships, appearing to finally break Alabama's dominance.

Unlike Nick Saban and Kirk Smart, Kelly has only spent one season at LSU. But can he be justifiably described as untouchable? It appears that he actually might be untouchable, at least for now. Following his 10-4 record in his first season in charge, LSU is tipped to have another winning season.