Nick Saban is known as one of the greatest college football coaches of all time. Despite 11 SEC championships, seven national championships, and various other achievements, the former Alabama coach still needed a push from his wife, Terry, when he was unsure about his new job at LSU in 1999.
As Saban is inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame, he recalled how Miss Terry helped him calm down when his doubts took over just before the introductory press conference.
Saban shared how the LSU decision wasn’t an easy one, at first because he never went to LSU before and wasn’t aware about what it’s like, however, he couldn’t visit to make up his mind because of his job at Michigan State, hence he sent Miss Terry.
“She said, The stadium’s in bad shape. They have no academic facilities. They have no academic support center. The players are not doing well academically. Yeah. She said, You have to get in the bus and ride to practice from the campus because the facilities are separated, the coaches offices are in a bank building and very unimpressive. I don’t know how you would recruit there, but she said I went in a weight room today and there are some good looking players.”
“So that’s how I took the job. But then when I got there and I saw what she saw, without seeing any players, before I went in the press conference, I went in a corner and I said, Terry, this is not really what I thought it might be after your interview. She said, Put your big boy pants on and your a** in the press conference and go to work!, so that’s what we did,” Saban stated (via @LaSportsHall/@PowerHourLSU on X).
Nick Saban tells the story of how his wife Miss Terry got him to LSU….
“Put your big boy pants on and your ass in the press conference and go to work!” (via @LaSportsHall) pic.twitter.com/fOQrGZo24f
— Carter Bryant (@PowerHourLSU) June 29, 2025
How Is Nick Saban Spending His Retirement?
After losing to Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan in a national championship in 2024, Saban announced his decision to retire after being Alabama’s head coach for 17 years straight.
While fans were saddened to see their their favorite head coach hang up the boots, they were thrilled to see another side to him on ESPN College gameday show as an analyst.
Saban is now spending time with his family, while also occasionally dropping by the University of Alabama to help Kalen DeBoer in the recruitment process.
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