re: What does Saban do that makes him so great?

WINS wherever he is!

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What does Saban do that makes him so great?

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Win

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What does Saban do that makes him so great?

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Defense is clearly his bread and butter but his ability to embrace change in the approach to offensive college football secures him a hammerlock on the sport. It can't be forgotten that Saban coached on the late 80s Houston Oilers teams when June Jones was the QB coach and they ran the Run and Shoot with Warren Moon, Saban's observed some great offenses during his time coaching the defensive side of the ball. He's won bigly with babysitter game manager quarterbacks like Mauck and McElroy, improved quarterback talents like McCarron and Hurts, then Bama became a truly dominant passing team with Tua and Mac Jones and ensures to continue that with Bryce Young no doubt in my mind. Definitely supplants whatever Les Miles did that's for sure. Plus he's a great psychologist, notice how he always loses his shite when his team makes a dumb mistake while they're blowing out a cupcake team yet remains calm and encouraging when his team struggles against a quality opponent: keeps his team on their toes so no complacency but also keeps them loose in big games so they can fearlessly play their best football when it matters most. Almost like another great football coach no one talks about: Jimmy Johnson.

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4) MULLIGANS: The entire CFB landscape will completely alter itself if Bama is in a rare situation where they may not make the finals. See 2011. After losing the GOTC, Bama gets a mulligan, and CFB promptly drops the slogan "Every Game Counts". Saban would win a title this way, and then get another mulligan a few years later beating another SEC school in the title game (UGA) after finishing third in the conference.

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My biggest gripe with Bama, other than the clear fact that I'm an LSU fan and they're a division rival, is THIS. If we're being objective, they did back in to 2 natties (and almost 3 if Tua doesn't get hurt and Mac doesn't throw the pick 6s in the Iron Bowl) despite losing games which decided their division (meaning they didn't even finish as SEC runner-up that season) thereby rendering conference championship games and winning the conference meaningless if you have the right brand (blue blood like Bama). To Saban's credit, he improved that team to a constant contender and revived its legendary Coach Bryant reputation so it gets the benefit of the doubt in those instances but would be disingenuous to deny they get mulligans, whether it be deserved or undeserved.

He’s a master at every aspect of coaching. Think of what it takes to win at the top level:

-recruiting
-developing players
-developing coaches
-discipline
-constantly motivated
-delegating authority

He won’t hire someone who will not fit his style. There’s a reason his staff is poached. Logic would say it’s easier to recruit now because they’re constantly in the mix for a title. We’ve also seen programs fall off in that timeframe, like Texas, USC, etc.

He’s great at coaching people, not just players. He’s successfully ‘rehabbed’ coaches.

He’s the type of guy who could walk into a history class and immediately have a structured classroom that yields success. He’s not just a great FB coach, he’s a great teacher.

Develops his recruits!!

It all goes back to his mentorship under Jerry Glanville.

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He wins. Always. What do you mean? Do you really want to try and argue he isn’t the best coach of our era and probably ever? Is that a stance you’re wanting to take?

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I think the OP was legitimately trying to figure out what makes Saban great….not argue that he’s not great.

And I think it’s basically what the guy a few posts up said. Saban is a master of EVERY part of the job.

He doesn’t need a guy who can recruit, he doesn’t need an X & O guy, he doesn’t need an administrative guy, he doesn’t need a players coach, he doesn’t need a discipline guy…he’s all of those people in one. You can’t say that about anyone else in the country. He simply gets people that he knows will listen and plugs them into his system and it works like clockwork.

It’s incredible, awe-inspiring and dumbfoundingly simple at the same time.

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I’m so happy some LSU fans are still so bothered about 2011.

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As a fan of CFB, I'm stating a fact.

Just like in 2003, when a Tier 1 Team didn't get their way (USC), the CFB "Leadership" (media) changed the entire system so they could benefit. We got rid of the BCS.

In 2011, this happened again, this time for Bama. Bama also benefited a few years later, and it had NOTHING to do with LSU.

Certain teams get certain benefits others don't. That's just how CFB operates. Pointing this out shouldn't really be a surprise.

Besides pay players?

He’s an extremely detail oriented coach and he was an elite defensive kind, and he’s done a good job hiring coordinators to keep up with the times.

Any step he has lost in the Xs and Os department he makes up for with good hires and a reputation that brings in coaches and players (along with money)