Saban:Inside ESPN’s new docuseries exploring Nick Saban’s dynasty, ‘The Process,’ and the legacy that transformed Alabama and the sport forever.

ESPN has partnered with Words + Pictures on Saban, a new multi-part docuseries chronicling the life, legacy, and seminal impact of the most successful college football coach of all time, Nick Saban. Directed by Russell Dinallo and produced by Connor Schell, Libby Geist, Aaron Cohen, Alexa Conway, and Tom Rinaldi, with Gabe Honig as co-executive producer and showrunner, the series tells the story of Saban’s extraordinary career—including his 17 seasons at Alabama, where he led the Crimson Tide to six national titles and reestablished the program as the preeminent force in college football.

​The series promises to peel back the curtain on the long-closely guarded world of Saban, with hundreds of hours of never-before-seen locker room and practice footage, plus behind-the-scenes moments from his time at Alabama, LSU, Michigan State, and the Miami Dolphins. Present-day interviews with Saban and his wife, the legendary Ms. Terry Saban, reveal the personal influence that helped shape his success as a coach and leader.

“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,” 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…consider the process which made it happen.”

From 2007–2023, Saban won 206 games and brought six national championships to Alabama. In 17 years at the helm, the Crimson Tide lost more than two SEC games only twice. Prior to that, he went 48–16 with a national title at LSU, posted a 34–24-1 mark at Michigan State (1995–99), and went 9–2 in his only season at Toledo.

What made Saban extraordinary was his ability to adapt and evolve. Early Alabama teams relied on a grind-it-out run game and a big, physical defense. As offenses shifted to spread and up-tempo styles, Saban adjusted, fielding faster, more versatile defensive units capable of defending high-powered passing attacks. He also built a reputation for hiring elite assistants, many of whom went on to high-profile head-coaching jobs. On the player side, he created a pipeline to the NFL, with 49 first-round draft picks (44 from Alabama alone), and consistently developed some of college football’s best recruiting classes.

Saban deserves to be seen as the greatest coach in college football history. No coach has ever matched his relentless drive, his meticulous approach, or his ability to win consistently at the highest level. Seven national championships—six of them at Alabama—a stack of SEC titles, multiple Heisman winners—the sheer volume of success is staggering. Alabama was a spectacular mess when he arrived and became the greatest dynasty in the sport’s history when he left.

Featuring more than 30 hours of interviews with Saban and 80+ interviews with players, coaches, rivals, and observers, the docuseries explores “The Process”—his famed approach to coaching—and offers a rare look at how he became the most influential figure in modern college football.

“There will never be another Nick Saban,” said Connor Schell, CEO of Words + Pictures. “He’s a football genius, a singular leader, and a true icon…attention to detail and process has added up to an incredible journey and legacy.”

For fans of Alabama, college football, or coaching excellence, this series promises to reveal the man behind the wins and the mindset that built one of the greatest dynasties in sports history.