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The University of Alabama missed a golden opportunity to properly honor former football coach Nick Saban. 

On September 7, Alabama will officially name Nick Saban Field during halftime of its contest against South Florida at Bryant-Denny Stadium. In my humble opinion, that is a huge mistake made by Alabama officials.

Bryant-Denny Stadium should properly be renamed Bryant-Saban Stadium. I was really surprised when Alabama made the field after Saban, not the Stadium.

Alabama should be blessed and grateful to have two coaches on the Mount Rushmore of College Football legends, according to me. Notre Dame’s Knute Rockne and Eddie Robinson of Grambling are the others beside Bryant and Saban.

I was so glad to see the SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum saying the field honor was disrespecting Saban. Finebaum knows Alabama football history, covering the Crimson Tide during his days as Birmingham Post-Herald sports columnist.

“Naming a field after the greatest coach in college football is an insult,” Finebaum told ESPN on July 25. ““I don’t think this is that great a tribute to Saban. I think it is somewhat of an insult to put him below Bryant and George Denny.”

The resumes of Bryant and Saban suggest that both should share the name of Alabama’s home stadium.

Bryant won 323 games and six national championships at Alabama, winning in  1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978 and 1979. 

Saban won a record-seven national titles, including six at Alabama (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020. To me, Saban’s 17 year run will never be matched. 

I consider Saban as the greatest college football coach ever because of the four Heisman Trophy winners: Mark Ingram, Bryce Young, Derrick Henry and Devonta Smith. 

If someone told me 20 years ago that Alabama would have more Heisman winners than Auburn, I wouldn’t believe it.

Maybe one day, Alabama will come to its senses and rename Bryant-Denny Stadium to Bryant-Saban Stadium. The sooner they do, the better.

 

James Jones is the managing editor of The Selma Times-Journal. He can be reached at james.jones@selmatimesjournal.com.