New Documentary Allows Nick Saban to 'Look Back and Actually Enjoy' Legendary Career

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Nick Saban at documentary premiere — Oct. 8, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Nick Saban speaks to the media on the red carpet at the Bama Theatre as he gets ready for the premiere of SABAN, the new ESPN Originals docuseries. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.- For one night, downtown Tuscaloosa felt like Hollywood as the red carpet was rolled out for the premiere of "Saban," a six-part documentary chronicling the life and career of the legendary head coach who patrolled the Alabama sideline for 17 seasons.

Nick Saban walked the red carpet with his wife of more than five decades, Miss Terry, along with the rest of his family. There were also sports personalities, ESPN executives and analysts, former players and former Saban assistants in attendance.

Always striving for the next thing– the next win, recruit or championship–this documentary allowed Saban to look back on his epic career now that he is retired.

"Your legacy is really determined by other people," Saban said on the red carpet. "This is, sort of, an experience of my time and our games during that time. I always looked forward when I was coaching, I never looked back. It was kind of nice to be able to look back and actually enjoy some of the things that happened and be proud of some of the people who actually made them happen. A lot of things to be thankful for."

Saban agreed to do the documentary because he wanted his story told and documented with his consent and involvement. It features interviews with around 70 people, including many former players like Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, Rashad Johnson, Javier Arenas, Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, Tua Tagovailoa.

Miss Terry revealed during the premiere that Hurts sent white flowers to the Sabans' house to thank them for their impact and letting him be involved in the project.

Some former players, including Barrett Jones, Trent Richardson and Ryan Kelly, were in attendance at the Bama Theater in Tuscaloosa on Thursday night.

"You have a special relationship when you have guys on your team for three or four years," Saban said. "It was always our goal to help players be more successful in life, so it means a lot to me that they would come here for this. So many guys contributed to this. It makes you feel like you did make some impact on them, and that they appreciated it."

Saban coached dozens of first-round draft picks, won six national titles with the Crimson Tide, helped the school get its first four Heisman winners and brought a storied Alabama program back to national prominence. A lot of that 17-year journey is now put into a format for fans to enjoy forever.

All six parts of the documentary are now available to watch on ESPN.

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