To Saban, it's all about winning

Alabama football coach Nick Saban is known as arrogant, snobby, short-spoken and, after his appearance in “The Blind Side,” even as a movie star.

But the fiery coach’s Belichick-like demeanor, succinct responses to the media, and track record suggest one thing above all others.

The guy is a winner. And, really, that’s all that should matter.  

Thursday’s BCS Championship game produced football’s first coach to win a title at two schools since the Associated Press poll era began in 1936. Saban, who took on the rebuilding task at Alabama after departing from the Miami Dolphins, had championship experience during his time in Baton Rouge when his LSU Tigers won the glass football in 2003.

It also brought the meeting of two polar opposite football minds in Saban and Mack Brown.. Texas, which won the championship four years ago on the same field, saw a coaching demeanor similar to that of Alabama and college football great Bear Bryant.

This was a program-changing game for the Crimson Tide. It was just the team’s second BCS game, but it was also a second chance; a chance for a program classified by mediocrity, scandal and coaching instability during the better part of 17 years.

Hindsight is 20/20, but who better could Alabama have chosen than Saban to spearhead the rebuilding in 2007?

Possibly a better question is, why did Saban even give the NFL a chance? It only took two years for him to find his desire to win was too strong for everything the NFL presents.

A 53-man NFL roster has too many prima donnas and its front office has too many monetary concerns for a guy like Saban. He’s the optimal type of college coach, one who has no aspirations of coaching on Sunday or dealing with free agency and the salary cap.

That’s because, to Saban, the only thing that matters is winning. Nothing else.

And Tide fans shouldn’t worry about him leaving anytime soon. The win made Alabama a destination job again in college football, and a job where Saban’s image fits perfectly. He’s a true southern football man whose style calls for no nonsense or glitzy acts, just winning.

So far, it’s worked pretty well.

Just look at his near meltdown after defensive end Marcel Dareus intercepted Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert’s shovel pass and sprinted his way to the end zone before throwing the ball into the crowd in celebration in the first half’s final minutes for a score. Saban ran down the sideline in anger and berated his team for acting like the game was over with the 24-6 lead heading into the half.

“It was like we’d won the game,”  Saban said. “You can’t accept being average when you’re playing in the National Championship against a team that knows how to win.”

Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, prior to the Tide’s win against Florida in the SEC Championship Game, heard how playing his position was a cakewalk thanks to Heisman-winning running back Mark Ingram in his backfield and wideout Julio Jones alongside him.

Although McElroy threw just 11 times Thursday, he didn’t force anything into an interception or fumble. He did what he was coached to do.

That’s what makes Saban one of the best. He keeps his team grounded when, in reality, one would be hard-pressed to find a more solid team. Perhaps more impressive is that his players buy into it.

It was Saban who told his team during practice leading up to the championship that their No. 1 ranking was a “setup” for an upset because Texas was believed to be a better team.

Genius or wit?

Whatever it is, to Saban, it’s doing what is necessary to win, nothing else.