ESPN And Words + Pictures Announce Docuseries On Nick Saban, College Football’s Coaching GOAT
As ESPN readies to air the College Football Playoff National Championship game, the sports network is announcing plans for a documentary series on the coach who has won more college football national championships than anyone else – Nick Saban.
The six-part series titled Saban, from ESPN and Word + Pictures, is directed by Russell Dinallo and produced by Words + Pictures’ Connor Schell, Libby Geist, Aaron Cohen, and Alexa Conway along with Tom Rinaldi, with Gabe Honig serving as co-executive producer and showrunner. It will document the man who won seven college football national championships – one at LSU and six at the University of Alabama.
Watch a teaser for the Saban series below.
“The series will peel back the curtain on the long closely guarded world of Saban,” notes a release, “with hundreds of hours of never-before-seen footage from the locker room and practice fields, as well as many other behind-the-scenes moments in his career at Alabama, and prior to that LSU, the Miami Dolphins, and Michigan State among other stops. There’s also a wealth of present-day interviews with Saban and his wife, the legendary Ms. Terry Saban, whose own influence and impact played a massive role in Nick’s success as a coach and leader.”
Former University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and wife Terry are honored with ceremony dedicating the field in his name at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 7, 2024 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
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Saban retired two years ago from Alabama and now serves as an ESPN analyst – as well as a pitchman for Aflac and Vrbo.
“With my coaching days behind me, Ms. Terry and I have been doing a lot of reflection and realized we were ready to tell our story,” Nick Saban said. “The team at Words + Pictures has encouraged me to really look back not just at my time at Alabama, but every stop along the way – and not just reflect on what happened but consider the process which made it happen. I interacted with a lot of players and coaches along the way and I’m happy to see that so many of them have contributed to this docuseries. There’s a lot to tell, and I’m excited to share it all.”
In addition to his national titles, Saban’s football programs produced four Heisman Trophy winners and innumerable NFL stars. ESPN says the series will include “more than 30 hours of interviews with Saban, and more than 80 interviews with former players, assistant coaches, rivals, family, friends, and observers, the series offers a rare look at how he became the most successful and influential figure that the game of college football has ever known.”
College Gameday commentator Nick Saban speaks before the Miami Hurricanes vs Ole Miss Rebels College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl on January 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona.
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“There will never be another Nick Saban,” observed Connor Schell, CEO of Words + Pictures. “He’s a football genius, a singular leader, and a true icon who has done more than anyone to shape the modern game of college football and the culture around it. When you work with Coach Saban, you’re constantly reminded how every small detail matters and, in his case, that attention to detail and process has added up to an incredible journey and legacy. Working with Coach Saban and Ms. Terry has been a tremendous experience, and we can’t wait to share their story with the world.”
ESPN says the premiere date and full rollout plans for the series will be announced at a later date.
Watch a teaser for Saban here.
