Nick Saban is either loved or hated across the nation for one thing: football. The Alabama head coach publicly sticks to the notion that he is “just a football coach,” and rarely ventures into the realms of American politics and social issues. However, when he does, he is consistent in his stance.
Saban’s influence is so grand and widespread that when he starred in a PSA video about wearing a mask and practicing social distancing to help mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus, ESPN host Pablo Torre thanked the six-time national championship-winning coach for using his platform to promote the safety precautions recommended by the CDC.
“On a reasonable planet, Saban’s warning would be honestly forgettable, but on our planet, where masks are somehow weapons in a culture war, I cannot stop thinking about how useful Saban’s voice actually is. If anyone is immune to the charges of virtue signaling, it’s the head football coach at Alabama. And if anyone transcends PC culture, it’s probably the guy who celebrated winning a national title by saying ‘that damn game cost me a week of recruiting.’”
In fact, during Alabama’s 2017 special election for the state’s Senate vacancy, Saban received 421 write-in votes.
Though people may want him to be an elected official, it appears he has no desire to partake in any form of political office.
He has utilized his role as a prominent public figure to encourage Alabama citizens to become registered voters and participate in the electoral process through an ad paid for by Alabama’s Secretary of State John Merrill in 2015.
“Register to vote and join Terry and me, as we work to make Alabama the best it can be. Roll Tide,” says Saban.
A few months after the ad was produced and publicized, Merrill was blocked from handing out posters donning pictures of Saban and Auburn’s head coach Gus Malzahn by the NAACP President.
A year later, just one day after the contentious 2016 presidential election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, it became even more clear how focused Saban was on football rather than politics. He claimed to have totally forgotten about Election Day.
“To be honest with you, I didn’t even know yesterday was Election Day,” says Saban. “It was so important to me that I didn’t even know it was happening. We’re focused on other things here. I don’t really make political comments. So if I say I like one person, that means that everybody that voted for the other person doesn’t like me. So, why would I do that?”
His statement also corroborates the idea that Saban stays out of partisan politics by sticking to what he knows best, football.
His practice of being apolitical was suddenly broken in 2018 as he endorsed Joe Manchin, the Democratic candidate for West Virginia Senate. Saban, a West Virginia native was reported to have shown public support for Manchin because they were childhood friends.
“He never forgets where he came from,” says Saban in the political ad. “I don’t have a better friend or know a better person than Joe Manchin.”
When Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the National Anthem in 2016 to protest against police brutality and the unfair treatment of Black people in the United States, many became enraged that he, and many other NFL players, would protest in such a way that they felt disrespected the nation’s flag and men and women of service.
During Saban’s radio show in September of 2017, he was asked by a veteran what his thoughts were regarding NFL players kneeling during the national anthem.
“First of all, I’m just a football coach,” said Saban. “I don’t have all the answers to all the problems that we have in society. The one thing that’s a little disappointing to me is something that has always been really unifying, something that created spirit in our country and was very unifying is no longer that way. That’s a little bothersome to me. I don’t think that what these people are doing in any way, shape or form meant to disrespect a veteran or somebody like yourself who has worked so hard, fought so hard and sacrificed so much for all of us to have the quality of life that we want to have. But one of the things you also fought for and made sacrifice for was that we could all have the freedom to have a choice in terms of what we believe, what we do and what we said. This is not something … and, look, I respect people’s individual rights. I have my opinions in terms of what I would do and how I would do it. I’m not one to ever disrespect the symbols that represent the values of our country. I also respect individual differences that other people have and they have the right to express those — whether it’s our players or somebody else, whether I agree or disagree, I do think they have the right to do that.”
What makes this quote interesting is that he acknowledges the reasons behind the protests, unlike other high-profile figures at the time. While Saban makes it clear it’s not something he would do, he argues that those who have grievances are afforded the right to protest in any manner in which they feel necessary.
Fast forward three years and the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police was the catalyst that thrusted the issue of police brutality and systemic racism into the national spotlight, though it had never really left.
Numerous prominent Alabama leaders such as Athletic Director Greg Byrne, Men’s basketball coach Nate Oats and Saban released public statements on the topic of systemic racism and a national divide.
“I am shocked and angered by the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery,” Saban says. “We’re at an important moment for our country, and now is the time for us to choose kinds, tolerance, understanding, empathy, and most importantly … its time to love each other. Every life is precious, and we must understand we have so many more things that unite us than divide us.
I’ve always been inspired and encouraged by examples set by those who came before us like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and so many others who devoted their lives to finding peaceful ways to rid our society of social inequities. As Dr. King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied to a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” We are all part of this and we must banish these types of injustices in not just our country, but our world. The ultimate future of our nation is in our hands, and like the teams I’ve been privileged to coach, we must depend on and respect each other no matter our differences. We must come together as a society and treat one another with respect and dignity.”
It wasn’t even a month before Saban took another strong stance alongside his players.
In a powerful video posted by Alabama football, and written by senior offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood, numerous players of all races speak in support of the ongoing ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.
“Until I listen with an open heart and mind, I can’t understand his experience and his pain,” says Saban.
In the few hours that the video has been visible to the public, there is plenty of support, but just as much negativity toward Saban and the program.
Some comments state that they will no longer be a fan of the program and are upset with the coach. Some accuse Saban of doing this solely for recruiting, to pander to a specific crowd or to appease the mass public.
While people are allowed to think what they want about Saban’s recent actions and his motives behind them, it would be extremely unfair to not mention the consistency the football legend has shown in his stance against police brutality, systemic racism and inequality found in today’s America.
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