Nick Saban is one of the most focused and intense coaches in college football. He takes every opponent seriously and he is hard on his players. Apparently this information has not been lost on top high school recruits who voted him the most intimidating coach they’ve talked to.
Rivals.com says they polled about 80 blue-chip high school football recruits about a variety of college football and recruiting issues during the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge in Atlanta. They were asked who the most intimidating coach they’ve spoken to is, and Saban won in a landslide.
Saban received 30 votes while Lane Kiffin was second with five votes and Will Muschamp had four. Here’s what some of the players said about him:
“He doesn’t do any type of grinning, smiling or laughing – none of that,” one player said. “He is what people say he is – strictly business.”
“He’s been in the elite for a long time and he’s heard it all,” that prospect said. “He just wants to get down to the chase and get to the offer and tell you what he likes and doesn’t like about you. That’s it.”
“With the background he has, just talking to him was like, ‘Wow, I’m really talking to Nick Saban,’ ” one player said. “It was incredible.”
Two of those quotes cite Saban’s business-like demeanor as an explanation for his intimidation. Another points out that Saban is just intimidating because of how successful he is. But has his intimidating behavior stopped recruits from going to Alabama? Not at all. If it had, then Bama wouldn’t be 48-6 over the past four years. But there’s no doubt that stories like this have hurt the Bama coach’s reputation.
H/T Morning News
