When Nick Saban revealed what made him "most proud" about players like Mac Jones, Tua Tagovailoa and Bryce Young

Nick Saban was known for his charitable work within the city of Tuscaloosa and beyond during his days as the coach of Alabama. Through his Nick's Kids Foundation, the coach and his family have been able to touch the lives of many children, families, teachers and students.

Since Nick and Terry Saban moved to Tuscaloosa, the Nick’s Kids Foundation has donated nearly $14 million to deserving organizations and causes across Alabama and the Southeast. It has built 21 homes for deserving local families through a longstanding partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

In an interview with ESPN’s Rece Davis following his retirement in January 2024, Nick Saban said he wants to continue his charitable work through Nick’s Kids. The coach talked about what has made him proud the most in his years of humanitarian work while in Tuscaloosa.

“One of the things that make me sort of most proud is the number of players, whether it was Tua (Tagovailoa), Mac Jones, Bryce (Young), whoever it was, that I saw them working on houses for Miss Terry on a Saturday to build a house for some needy family,” Saban said (Timestamp: 20:04).

“Now, they all have a foundation themselves, and they are dedicated to helping other people. That's one of my proudest moments as a coach because those guys were involved in helping people here and doing things in the community that had an impact on helping someone else have a better quality of life. They choose to do that in their future.”

Nick Saban reinstated his commitment to charitable work

Retirement meant a new challenge for Nick Saban. The coach built the most successful dynasty in the history of college football at Alabama and would miss the competitive spirit after his retirement. He told Davis in the interview that he remains committed to charitable work.

“I do want to contribute to continue helping people,” Saban said about his plans for charitable works following retirement (Timestamp: 19:41). “Nick’s Kids has been great and helping a lot of people.”

“We've given a lot and spent a lot on kids on first-generation scholarships here in Stillman College. And we want to continue to do those types of things in the community, build houses for people. It's just part of having compassion for other people and trying to be helpful.”

Nick Saban has made significant charitable contributions since the interview with Rece Davis in January 2024. The Nick's Kids Foundation was featured on "College GameDay" when it went to Tuscaloosa during the 2024 season.

Nick and Terry Saban donated $300,000 to the College Football Playoff Foundation's Extra Yard for Teachers program during the 2025 CFP national championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.