Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban named to 2024 MAC Hall of Fame class
Nick Saban speaks on current issues during future of college athletics roundtable in Washington, DC
By Matt Stahl | mstahl@al.com
Former Alabama football head coach Nick Saban will be inducted into the Mid-American Conference hall of fame, the league announced on Friday. Saban, before beginning his coaching career, played for Kent State from 1970-72.
Saban was a defensive back for the Golden Flashes, playing for Don James. He was a member of the 1972 MAC championship team.
“His unparalleled contributions to the world of college football, both as a player and as a coach, have left an indelible mark on the sport and exemplify the values of excellence, perseverance, and leadership that our institution honors,” Kent State athletics director Randale Richmond said in a KSU release.
After his Kent State playing career, Saban began working as a graduate assistant for the Flashes under James. He then began coaching linebackers at KSU, his first full-time gig.
Later in his career, Saban returned to the MAC. He took the head coaching job at Toledo before the 1990 season.
He led the Rockets to a 9-2 record in his lone season in charge there, winning a share of the MAC title. Saban then left the college ranks temporarily, taking a job as defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns under then-head coach Bill Belichick.
After that, Saban’s career was off to the races. He got the head job at Michigan State before moving over to LSU, where he won his first national title.
After a quick stop with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, he took over the Alabama job. Saban won six national titles with the Crimson Tide, before retiring in January.
The other inductees in the class of 2024 included Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois football), Curt Miller (Bowling Green women’s basketball head coach), Sarah Obras (Ball State volleyball), Jessica Simpson (Miami softball) and Frank Solich (Ohio football head coach). The group will be inducted on May 30 in Cleveland.
