Nick Saban - Personal Life

Personal Life

Nick Lou Saban was born in Fairmont, West Virginia to Nick Lou Saban, Sr. and his wife, Mary. Nick grew up and graduated high school near the small community of Monongah, West Virginia, about 90 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On December 18, 1971, he married Terry Saban (née Constable) from West Virginia. They have two children, a son named Nicholas and a daughter named Kristen. He is a devout Roman Catholic and has a Mass said before every game.

Saban graduated from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, where he played defensive back for the football team. Along with a roommate, he avoided being amidst the infamous Kent State shootings when they decided to eat lunch before walking to the rally area. Saban owns a vacation home on Lake Burton in northeast Georgia.

Nick Saban is of Croatian origin. Bill Belichick, with whom Nick Saban is good friends, said, when speaking about him and Saban: "Two successful Croats in the same division of NFL. You must admit, you don't see that every day."

Nick Saban shares his last name with another famous football coach, Lou Saban. Lou's wife Joyce has stated that the men might be second cousins, but that the families are not sure if they are related.

Saban made a cameo appearance as himself in the movie The Blind Side. In August 2010, the movie "Nick Saban: Gamechanger" was released. Included in the film are interviews from Belichick and Alabama athletic director Mal Moore, among others.

Saban is also the co-founder, along with his wife Terry, of the foundation Nick's Kids. This foundation has been used by the Sabans to help mentally-challenged children ever since Saban started head coaching. In the first three years at Alabama, Nick's Kids raised more than $1 million.