"Have a happier, more self-fulfilled life": When Nick Saban opened up on his desire to leave a great legacy

Nick Saban is one of the most successful college football coaches of all time. He was able to lead LSU to a national championship before going to Alabama, where he won six more.

Throughout his tenure with the Crimson Tide, Saban established himself as, arguably, the greatest head coach the game of college football has ever seen.

Given his success, Saban has been known to drop some nuggets of wisdom over the years. One of those came two years ago, when Saban was interviewed prior to the awarding of the Nick Saban Legacy Award by the Quarterback club in Birmingham.

Saban was asked about the kind of legacy he'd like to leave behind. The longtime coach responded by saying he'd like his legacy to be reflected by the impact he and his program has had on his players, setting them up for future success. Even if it isn't necessarily with football.

"My goal, our goal, as a program and as a coach, is to help our players become more successful in life because they were in the program that we had. I think there's a lot of life lessons that you can learn in athletics.

"And hopefully, they can carry those things over into things that are going to help them be better parents, do a better job someday, have more success in their careers. Have a happier, more self-fulfilled life. So anytime a player comes back and says, 'Coach, you've really made an impact on me.' I think that's what I'd like my legacy to be."

The stars Nick Saban has helped produce over the years

It's safe to say that Saban has played a huge role in setting up several of his wards for success at the next level. Having coached Alabama for 17 seasons, Saban's fingerprints are all over some of the NFL's biggest stars over the past decade-and-a-half.

NCAA Football: Orange Bowl-Notre Dame at Penn State - Source: Imagn

Those names include Derrick Henry, DeVonta Smith, Julio Jones, Tua Tagovailoa and so many more.

Saban finally decided to walk away from coaching in January of 2024, announcing his retirement. Now, he serves as an analyst for ESPN on College GameDay. He will also be lending his expertise to the network's NFL Draft coverage.

This will be particularly insightful given Saban's vast experience coaching some of the greatest players the game of college football has ever seen. Although he may no longer be coaching, Saban's legacy in the game will live on forever.