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Entertaining backstories on Nick Saban as told by Kiffin, Smart, Cristobal, Sarkisian, Locksley & Jimbo
- Thread starter Hoyacane1620
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Here's one of the funniest stories:
"Throughout his coaching career, Saban loved organizing pickup 3-on-3 basketball games with his coaches at lunchtime. Only in the offseason, mind you.
The games at times were intense, and legend has it that Saban picked the teams and occasionally picked who would guard him. At Alabama, that guy often was current Arkansas State athletic director Jeff Purinton, who was then one of Saban's most trusted confidants as associate athletic director for football communications.
"My first years with him, I loved it and looked forward to it. My last six years, I dreaded it," Smart said with a laugh.
Smart participated in those games at all three of his coaching stops with Saban.
"We played outside when we were with the Miami Dolphins, some great games," said Smart, noting that current South Carolina receivers coach James Coley and former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett were part of the games.
One of the funnier stories, and Smart says Coley tells it best, was when Saban was at LSU. They went from 4-on-4 to 3-on-3, making it a faster-paced game. Coley said Saban, in his mid-50s at the time, became winded and called timeout after a loose ball. But Stan Hixon, who was on Saban's team, was the only one who heard Saban call timeout. Derek Dooley was on the opposite team and thought Hixon had called the timeout. Dooley yelled, "There's no timeouts out here."
Dooley had no idea the call came from Saban, and Saban was none too pleased.
"Hey Derek, I'm 50 years old, and I'm about to have a heart attack. If I want to call a timeout, I'll call a **** timeout," Saban huffed.
Fisher said he and Saban were always on the same team during their LSU years. They would play on the practice court underneath the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
"We'd always go to 11. Nick was the point guard, and I was the shooting guard," said Fisher, who was Saban's offensive coordinator at the time. "Our third player would vary. I mean, we'd go at it too. I wasn't going to lose, and neither was Nick. I'd score about nine of our points, and he'd score the other two. He could handle the ball and shoot, but I could shoot from long range. It was some serious basketball."
Former Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt, who worked two stints under Saban at Alabama, joked that he was banged up all the time because he was constantly diving for loose balls to impress Saban, especially those first few years when Pruitt was a younger, off-field staff member.
Saban continued with his lunchtime games until spring 2019 before having hip replacement surgery. Those early years at Alabama were the best, according to Smart.
The Alabama assistants had an hour for lunch, but they were required by Saban to make recruiting calls during the break.
"So the coaches that he demanded play basketball over that lunch hour would show up across the street at Coleman Coliseum with their phones in their hands making recruiting calls," Smart said. "Nick would jog down the steps, and we all made sure he saw us making calls before the games started."
Kiffin doesn't have any hoops stories because he strategically made it a point not to participate.
"I knew better," Kiffin said. "When I got there, they told me all about the games and how Coach picks the teams and that if you cover him, you can't foul him and probably should let him score some. And I'm like, 'Wrong dude. That ain't happening. I'll just go for a jog or something.'
"I knew if I went over there, it probably wasn't going to go well. So I never once went and played basketball."
"Throughout his coaching career, Saban loved organizing pickup 3-on-3 basketball games with his coaches at lunchtime. Only in the offseason, mind you.
The games at times were intense, and legend has it that Saban picked the teams and occasionally picked who would guard him. At Alabama, that guy often was current Arkansas State athletic director Jeff Purinton, who was then one of Saban's most trusted confidants as associate athletic director for football communications.
"My first years with him, I loved it and looked forward to it. My last six years, I dreaded it," Smart said with a laugh.
Smart participated in those games at all three of his coaching stops with Saban.
"We played outside when we were with the Miami Dolphins, some great games," said Smart, noting that current South Carolina receivers coach James Coley and former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett were part of the games.
One of the funnier stories, and Smart says Coley tells it best, was when Saban was at LSU. They went from 4-on-4 to 3-on-3, making it a faster-paced game. Coley said Saban, in his mid-50s at the time, became winded and called timeout after a loose ball. But Stan Hixon, who was on Saban's team, was the only one who heard Saban call timeout. Derek Dooley was on the opposite team and thought Hixon had called the timeout. Dooley yelled, "There's no timeouts out here."
Dooley had no idea the call came from Saban, and Saban was none too pleased.
"Hey Derek, I'm 50 years old, and I'm about to have a heart attack. If I want to call a timeout, I'll call a **** timeout," Saban huffed.
Fisher said he and Saban were always on the same team during their LSU years. They would play on the practice court underneath the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
"We'd always go to 11. Nick was the point guard, and I was the shooting guard," said Fisher, who was Saban's offensive coordinator at the time. "Our third player would vary. I mean, we'd go at it too. I wasn't going to lose, and neither was Nick. I'd score about nine of our points, and he'd score the other two. He could handle the ball and shoot, but I could shoot from long range. It was some serious basketball."
Former Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt, who worked two stints under Saban at Alabama, joked that he was banged up all the time because he was constantly diving for loose balls to impress Saban, especially those first few years when Pruitt was a younger, off-field staff member.
Saban continued with his lunchtime games until spring 2019 before having hip replacement surgery. Those early years at Alabama were the best, according to Smart.
The Alabama assistants had an hour for lunch, but they were required by Saban to make recruiting calls during the break.
"So the coaches that he demanded play basketball over that lunch hour would show up across the street at Coleman Coliseum with their phones in their hands making recruiting calls," Smart said. "Nick would jog down the steps, and we all made sure he saw us making calls before the games started."
Kiffin doesn't have any hoops stories because he strategically made it a point not to participate.
"I knew better," Kiffin said. "When I got there, they told me all about the games and how Coach picks the teams and that if you cover him, you can't foul him and probably should let him score some. And I'm like, 'Wrong dude. That ain't happening. I'll just go for a jog or something.'
"I knew if I went over there, it probably wasn't going to go well. So I never once went and played basketball."
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Kiffin is included in this post, so a lot of guys on here are like.....................................................
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then don't read it.
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All of my least favorite coaches gathered in one place.
Dwinstitles
All-American
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U know **** well they stood on unpause when they saw his nameKiffin is included in this post, so a lot of guys on here are like.....................................................
cway313
No more excuses
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MIAMI COACH MARIO Cristobal was Saban's offensive line coach for four seasons at Alabama before moving to Oregon as co-offensive coordinator and later head coach. A second-generation Cuban American who grew up in Miami, Cristobal said driving to see recruits with Saban was always an adventure, especially with Saban being a renowned back-seat driver, something to which every coach who ever went out on the road with him will attest.
One time, Saban and Cristobal were driving to see a recruit in Iowa, and it was snowing heavily.
"I didn't know how to drive in the snow, and we were almost crashing," Cristobal said.
Saban looked at Cristobal and asked quizzically, "Tell me, man, there ain't no snow in Cuba. Why the **** are you driving?"
One time, Saban and Cristobal were driving to see a recruit in Iowa, and it was snowing heavily.
"I didn't know how to drive in the snow, and we were almost crashing," Cristobal said.
Saban looked at Cristobal and asked quizzically, "Tell me, man, there ain't no snow in Cuba. Why the **** are you driving?"
MedleyCane
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