What is Nick Saban's coaching record in NFL? All you need to know

Nick Saban is college football royalty, with the Alabama Crimson Tide legend needing no introduction among American football fans. Saban probably coached or recruited your favorite player in college, and his fingerprints are all over the modern NFL landscape.

The greatest head coach in college football history has reportedly retired following the 2023 college football season, and the tributes are coming in. This article will highlight Nick Saban's record during his brief spell as an NFL head coach, and it'll also take a look at Saban's successes in preparing players for the NFL draft.

So, let's look into the career of a football legend.

What is Nick Saban's record as a head coach in the NFL?

Nick Saban has a 15-17 record as an NFL head coach. The Alabama Crimson Tide legend compiled that modest record during his spell with the Miami Dolphins between the 2005 and 2006 NFL seasons.

The Miami Dolphins hired Saban on Dec. 25, 2004. The national championship-winning coach was the sixth head coach in the franchise's history.

Saban led them in the 2005 NFL season, compiling a decent but unspectacular 9-7 record with the team narrowly missing the playoffs.

The expectation heading into the 2006 season was that Saban and the Dolphins would contend for a postseason berth. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, that wasn't the case. The 2006 season was utterly disappointing for the storied franchise.

The season started with the Dolphins missing out on signing future Hall of Famer Drew Brees after his release from the San Diego Chargers. Saban later said that when the Dolphins passed on Brees, he knew that his time was up in Miami.

As for the 2006 regular season, the Dolphins went 6-10. It was Saban's first and only losing season record as a head coach. The Alabama Crimson Tide later hired Saban, and the rest is history.

How many first-round draft picks did Nick Saban coach in Alabama?

According to the Alabama Crimson Tide website, Nick Saban developed an NCAA-record 49 first-round draft picks. The legendary coach made the Crimson Tide the epitome of college football excellence, and under him, Alabama became a top-notch NFL talent factory.

Aside from his 49 first-round draft picks, Nick Saban has coached hundreds of college graduates. His methods have been instrumental in training the leaders of tomorrow in the talent factory in Alabama, and his fingerprints can be seen in numerous sectors of the American workforce.

Saban was a people's coach, as evidenced by the outpouring of tributes that followed his surprising retirement from coaching. Saban changed how coaches approach college football, leaving behind huge shoes for the next coach of the Crimson Tide to fill.