Nick Saban admits he doesn’t know what ‘Roll Tide’ means in new ESPN docuseries
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Former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban won six college football national championships across 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa, yet the Hall of Famer admitted in ESPN’s new docuseries that he can’t explain what the program’s famous rallying cry means.
Saban was asked about “Roll Tide” in “Saban,” the six-part ESPN Original series that premiered Thursday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN, and he answered without hedging: “I don’t know. I really don’t. I honestly don’t know.”
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When did Saban admit he didn’t know ‘Roll Tide’ meaning?
The admission comes from the documentary, not a press conference or a College GameDay segment. Russell Dinallo directed the series for Words + Pictures, and all six episodes launched on the ESPN App. The remaining five episodes air on ESPN through October and early November, and bundled subscribers can also stream the series on Disney+ via ESPN.
The production leaned heavily on its subject. Dinallo told Awful Announcing that his crew interviewed Saban seven times, and more than 70 people appear on camera, including Bill Belichick, Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian, Kirby Smart, Tim Tebow, Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa.
Saban and his wife, Terry Saban, attended the premiere in Tuscaloosa on Thursday night, where he described the project as a chance to set the record straight.
“We tried to be open and honest,” Saban said. “You know, a lot of things have been written about me. We wanted to do this to kind of get it straight, for everybody.”
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Where does ‘Roll Tide’ come from?
Alabama can’t say with certainty where the phrase came from either. The university credits Birmingham Age-Herald sports editor Hugh Roberts with coining “Crimson Tide” after Alabama fought heavily favored Auburn to a 6-6 tie in Birmingham in 1907, a game played in red mud that stained the team’s white jerseys.
Zipp Newman of the Birmingham News later did more than any other writer to spread the nickname. But even that story has holes, because the Roberts recap of the 1907 game printed in The Tuscaloosa News doesn’t contain the words “crimson” or “tide.” The “roll” is even harder to pin down.
Some trace it to fans watching the Tide roll over opponents, while others point to the fight song “Yea Alabama!” The song’s original sheet music included the line “Go! Roll to vic-try!” and its modern version closes with “Roll Tide! Roll Tide!”
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How does the series portray Saban?
Reviewers have singled out the “Roll Tide” moment as evidence of how little the sport’s culture registered with him. Sean Keeley of Awful Announcing wrote that Saban appears detached from the tradition, rivalry and fan culture that define college football and that he seems confused by how much LSU fans resent him for eventually landing at Alabama.
The series also digs into the coach’s upbringing. The third episode, “Black Diamonds,” examines his relationship with his father, Nick Sr., who pushed him hard during youth football. Sports psychiatrist Dr. Lionel “Lonny” Rosen, who met Saban at Michigan State and helped shape “The Process,” compares the West Virginia native to a predator driven by instinct rather than wins.
The docuseries arrives as Alabama prepares to face Georgia. College football analyst Josh Pate argued this week that the Crimson Tide may be the best team in the country, with quarterback Keelon Russell leading an improved roster.
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