From Confetti to Getting Ready: The Key to Nick Saban’s Championship Consistency

If you want to understand a person’s capacity for sustained success, look no further than how they react…to confetti. This week, University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban hoisted the College Football Playoff National Championship trophy with his team and before the players had finished mimicking snow angels in the confetti, Saban was already thinking about next.

After a 52-24 domination of the Ohio State Buckeyes, a Fireman’s carry from the sidelines by one of his big offensive linemen, and shaking hands with opposing head coach Ryan Day, Saban did not focus on how winning his 7th NCAA title moved him past the legendary Bear Bryant for most in college football history. Instead, he quickly locked in on appreciating the present win and starting the journey toward the future.

“Haven’t thought about that because we’re always looking forward,” Saban told the live broadcast when he was asked to compare his success to Bryant’s. “I’m just happy we won tonight. And I just love this team so much and what they’ve been able to do, I can’t even put it into words.”

That brief reaction spoke volumes. At a moment when journalists and seasoned reporters were lobbying for him to be consumed by his own accomplishments, Saban once again unleashed his philosophy that success is a continuum, and the more time spent in the past the less momentum—and success—you’ll ultimately experience. This is where I implore you the same way I did during Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots dynasty years—don’t hate them, study them.

Saban is constantly working towards “next.” Whether it’s the next game, next handoff, next tackle, next workout, next recruiting visit, or next season, his commitment to not sleeping in his trophy case defies human nature.

That’s why after Monday night’s big win, there were coaches shaking their heads wondering how Saban manages to be in the championship hunt year after year. Alabama has played in the national title game five out of the last six years—winning three titles in that span. Saban’s accolades are what other coaches seek, but the mindset and discipline are what few are willing to duplicate.

Some schools attract players with fancy uniforms. Others do so with promises of playing time or proximity to thriving cities. And while many of those schools are firing head coaches and losing transfer players, Alabama’s boring uniforms, plain helmets and quaint hometown of Tuscaloosa have become a model of success. Helping turn the key is Saban’s constant willingness to be innovative—that includes intentional details for a top weightlifting regimen, spa-like recovery facilities, and cutting edge technology that measures the effort players put forward in practice.

During one of my recent Corporate Competitor Podcast episodes (JON PLEASE LINK!!), I had the chance to interview the great John C. Maxwell. He’s sold more than 26 million books and is one of the world’s most successful leadership experts. He’s also a quote machine… and he didn’t disappoint.

“Everyone wants to do what I do, but few want to do what I did,” Maxwell told me.

Are you willing to do what others won’t? When you see the success of others, do you curse them, marvel at them, or do you work to emulate them? Knowing the various SEC fanbases out there, I’m certain Nick Saban and Alabama players get their fair share of hate mail. I also know there are coaches around the league who marvel at what the Crimson Tide have constructed. But scarce is the pool of people willing to dive in—to emulate the decisions, discipline, and sacrifices made daily in Tuscaloosa.

I remember sitting in Saban’s office a little less than two years ago with current Chicago Cubs manager and 2-time World Series champion David Ross. Saban was telling the two of us how tough it had been the previous year to keep his players and coaching staff focused on the present while still intentionally building a better future. If you recall, his 2018 Crimson Tide team had just been slammed in the national title game by the Clemson Tigers, capping off a season where seven assistant coaches took coveted jobs elsewhere and half the team’s starters spent bowl season reading reports on their NFL draft stock.

Here we are 18 months later, and Saban’s team was the antithesis of that. Three players were legit contenders for the Heisman trophy, and his offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian, was highly sought after by other programs. But rather than choosing future plans at the expense of making the most of the present, this team focused on winning each moment, trusting that they were building for their future. Sarkisian took a high profile coaching job at the University of Texas but remained committed to coach the Tide to a 52-point output in the title game. Future first-round running back Najee Harris—who spent most of the season reminding us that he and his teammates returned this year to do something special – scored three touchdowns in the title game. Heisman winning wideout DeVonta Smith could’ve focused on protecting his NFL stock and sat out the big game like other top players have done. Instead, he racked up 215 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns…in the first half.

Clearly, these players were able to deafen themselves from the noise, live in the moment, and work towards their future. They enjoyed the win and will relish the championship story they created, but in typical Saban fashion, they will no doubt focus on their next chance to celebrate with confetti.