Is Nick Saban the greatest coach ever? Taking a closer look at legacy of college football coaches in NCAA history

The barbershop debate for college football centers around: is Nick Saban the greatest coach ever.

Whenever people talk about the best in any area, there's going to be debate. Today, we're going to discuss whether Saban is the greatest coach in college football history.

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Who could be the other candidates?

If you're going to say no to is Nick Saban the greatest coach ever, that means there's someone you would rank above him. The only name that can be in the discussion is a former Alabama Crimson Tide coach: Paul "Bear" Bryant.

Bryant coached from 1945 through 1982 with Maryland, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Alabama. He had a 323-85-17 record and 20-12-2 in bowl games. Bryant did very well, as he won six national championships and 14 Southeastern Conference Championships and a SWC Championship with the Aggies.

Compare that to Nick Saban, who's 280-69-1 as a college coach and 19-11 in bowl games. He has won seven national championships, 10 SEC Titles and a MAC Championship.

Saban has coached in college football since 1990 but was in the NFL from 1991-94 and 2005-06, so that limits his total numbers. However, only 43 games behind Bryant, he could realistically reach that tally in four years if Saban stays with the Crimson Tide.

Saban has been the ultimate recruiting guru, as he has developed NFL talent and has a NFL offense in place to get players that want to succeed at the next level.

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Is Nick Saban the greatest coach ever?

Without much debate, it can be said that Nick Saban is arguably one of the greatest college football coaches of all time. One of the prime reasons being his seven national championship titles that has elevated his status in football world.

The winning percentage is also important for obvious reasons, as these coaches have not been in the same amount of games. Bryant has a 78.0 win percentage in his career, while Saban has an 80.14 win percentage heading into 2023.

The thing is that Saban also does not have the cement dry, as he's still coaching the Alabama Crimson Tide. It's difficult to imagine a world where it would be unanimous, but the answer to is Nick Saban the greatest coach ever should be a resounding yes.

It's not scientific, but as time go on, things get more advanced and better. That's what we have seen with Nick Saban surpassing Bear Bryant.