Nick Saban is probably the best college football coach in America (all respect to Urban Meyer), and among the greatest college football coaches ever. He might even be the greatest college football coach of all time. Alabama certainly sees him as such, which is why they compensate him accordingly.
Saban is being paid $11 million this year including his signing bonus. When asked about the money he makes, Saban said he’s “probably not” worth all that money.
“Probably not,” Saban said Wednesday, via SEC Country’s Marq Burnett. “But I don’t really do this for money, never really have.”
Was Saban just being modest when he said that? There’s a chance that is the case. There is also a possibility that Saban doesn’t believe coaches should make that kind of money. Saban believes that how much he is paid is determined by the market.
“I don’t think it’s up to me to determine what the value is or what the market is for coaches, or what value I have created here for this institution and this place,” Saban said. “I think those people made those decisions. We haven’t asked for anything. We’ve been treated extremely well here. We certainly appreciate it. I appreciate our administration. I appreciate our athletic administration for the way they’ve supported the program and helped us be successful, and I’ve been very thankful for what they’ve done for my family. But I’m not the one that determines what you just asked.”
Saban may not be too concerned about what the market dictates — it seems he’s more focused on building the best program possible — but most agree that he should be the highest-paid coach in the sport, regardless of what that figure is.
