Top 60 Nick Saban Quotes (2024 Update)

1. “A good process produces good results.”

— Nick Saban

2. “There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you’ll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment.”

— Nick Saban

3. “You can’t win together if you don’t work together.”

— Nick Saban

4. “Focus on the process of what it takes to be successful.”

— Nick Saban

5. “Mediocre people hate high achievers, and high achievers hate mediocre people.”

— Nick Saban

6. “Success doesn’t come from pie-in-the-sky thinking. It’s the result of consciously doing something each day that will add to your overall excellence.”

— Nick Saban

7. “What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow is a mystery. What we do today makes a difference – the precious present moment.”

— Nick Saban

8. “Discipline is not punishment. Discipline is changing someone’s behavior.”

— Nick Saban

9. “There is no continuum for success. Focus on the progress, not the results.”

— Nick Saban

10. “Live by the creed that a strong work ethic, playing by the rules, and doing things the right way will bring about opportunities for success and, ultimately, happiness.”

— Nick Saban

11. “We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody’s got to buy into that standard or you really can’t have any team chemistry. Mediocre people don’t like high-achievers and high-achievers don’t like mediocre people.”

— Nick Saban

12. “One thing about championship teams is that they’re resilient. No matter what is thrown at them, no matter how deep the hole, they find a way to bounce back and overcome adversity.”

— Nick Saban

13. “High achievers don’t like mediocre people, mediocre people don’t like high achievers.”

— Nick Saban

14. “We’re not going to talk about what we’re going to accomplish, we’re going to talk about how we’re going to do it.”

— Nick Saban

15. “I don’t care what you did yesterday. If you’re happy with that, you have bigger problems.”

— Nick Saban

16. “Your character is your accumulation of your thoughts, habits and priorities on a day-to-day basis.”

— Nick Saban

17. “I’m tired of hearing all this talk from people who don’t understand the process of hard work-like little kids in the back seat asking ‘Are we there yet?’ Get where you’re going 1 mile-marker at a time.”

— Nick Saban

18. “Eliminate the clutter and all the things that are going on outside and focus on the things that you can control with how you sort of go about and take care of your business. That’s something that’s ongoing, and it can never change.”

— Nick Saban

19. “Be on time because it shows you care.”

— Nick Saban

20. “Every choice, every decision, everything we do everyday, we want to be a champion.”

— Nick Saban

21. “Teaching is the ability to inspire learning.”

— Nick Saban

22. “We have got to use every opportunity to improve individually so we can improve collectively.”

— Nick Saban

23. “Character is what you do when no one else is watching.”

— Nick Saban

24. “The formula for success is every guy can make a difference for the entire team in whatever his role is. And to do it right, to get it right, is a critical factor in being successful.”

— Nick Saban

25. “Some of the great leaders in history were not adored, but respected. My advice to leaders – stop trying to please everyone and do what you believe is best.”

— Nick Saban

26. “I don’t like to lose. I don’t expect to lose.”

— Nick Saban

27. “Champions are rare. Everybody has some chance, some opportunity to change and improve, but not everybody takes advantage. Be somebody who does.”

— Nick Saban

28. “I think everybody should take the attitude that we’re working to be a champion, that we want to be a champion in everything that we do. Every choice, every decision, everything that we do every day, we want to be a champion.”

— Nick Saban

29. “You can’t get from A to Z by passing up B.”

— Nick Saban

30. “It doesn’t matter what you are ranked until the end.”

— Nick Saban

31. “The more one emphasizes winning, the less he or she is able to concentrate on what actually causes success.”

— Nick Saban

32. “Be all you can be in whatever you choose to do. The sky is the limit, so go for it. And do not create any self-imposed limitations.”

— Nick Saban

33. “If you don’t get result-oriented with the kids, you can focus on the things in the process that are important to them being successful.”

— Nick Saban

34. “We have to compete within ourselves relative to the determination it takes to be successful.”

— Nick Saban

35. “People who are role models for the principles and values of the organization, who buy in and understand the vision of what the organization is trying to accomplish, and have the personality to inspire other people to the vision. You know, that’s what team chemistry and leadership is all about.”

— Nick Saban

36. “By definition, a leader is “a person who rules or guides or inspires others.” But that’s not entirely true. A person “who rules” may or may not be a leader, even if he or she is the ruler or manager. You see, just because you’re in command of a company, a team, or an army battalion, that does not qualify you as a leader. Perhaps you attained that position by experience or success, or maybe you simply outlasted everyone else. Regardless, how you lead defines you as a leader.”

— Nick Saban

37. “The roster that we have today may change tomorrow. It is what it is for right now.”

— Nick Saban

38. “Great leaders are not always popular.”

— Nick Saban

39. “Do what you do and be who you are.”

— Nick Saban

40. “Focus on the play like it has a history and a life of its own.”

— Nick Saban

41. “I don’t think it’s about who you play, I think it’s about who you are.”

— Nick Saban

42. “Great leaders do not rush to make changes because of failure.”

— Nick Saban

43. “Anyone who doesn’t win their conference has no business playing in the national championship game.”

— Nick Saban

44. “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach.”

— Nick Saban

45. “The difference between belief and trust can be monumental. We may believe in others, but do we really trust them? To firmly trust people means putting your own successes and health in their hands.”

— Nick Saban

46. “A truly unselfish team player does not care who gets credit for success and is willing to take on blame when things don’t go right. Unfortunately, we live in a world when the selfish seem to outnumber the unselfish. Pat Riley points out that the people who create 20 percent of a team’s effectiveness may feel that they are deserving of 80 percent of the credit and rewards. The weaker links on a team or in an organization are often the ones who clamor for more credit.”

— Nick Saban

47. “Our goal is to work against things we have not seen that we will see in the near future.”

— Nick Saban

48. “Any team that does not win it’s conference championship game should not play in the BCS title game.”

— Nick Saban

49. “The number one thing on any team that will keep your players from being selfish is respect for the other players.”

— Nick Saban

50. “Dominant teams rarely are outplayed or outclassed, but they sometimes beat themselves. Just because you are dominant does not mean you are infallible. Remember that dominance does not mean perfection; a lack of focus for even a short period of time can cost you. Do not relax when you are far ahead or dominating your marketplace. That is the time to push even harder.”

— Nick Saban