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Followers of veteran football coach Nick Saban will learn even more about his life, upbringing and philosophy upon viewing “Saban,” a new six-episode documentary series slated to debut 6 p.m. on October 8 on ESPN.
The
series offers unique insight not only into Coach Saban’s 17 seasons at the University of Alabama, but his time spent with the Miami Dolphins and at Louisiana State University. Words + Pictures and ESPN gained access to hundreds of hours of video footage shot during Saban’s Alabama tenure that has never before been made public.
Fans will no doubt recognize “the super intense guy on the sidelines, but I don’t know that he has ever really opened up to tell his story,” says, Russell Dinallo, who directed the documentary for Words + Pictures, the production company behind the project that worked with ESPN. Viewers will learn about his close relationship with his father, who passed away before he could see his son in action, and about Saban’s time with the Miami Dolphins, a tough episode in his overall career
The series offers unique insight not only into Coach Saban’s 17 seasons at the University of Alabama, but his time spent at Louisiana State University and more. Words + Pictures and ESPN gained access to hundreds of hours of video footage shot during Saban’s Alabama tenure that has never before been made public.
Saban “sort of had this standing policy that none of that was to ever leave the building while he was coaching. As part of telling his story, he said. ‘OK, now this is the time to go ahead and release that stuff. So we had access to all that,” says Dinallo. The footage includes “moments in the locker room with him speaking to the team after some of their biggest wins, after some of their most crushing losses.”
The series includes interviews with more than 70 different people who have interacted with the famous coach. Among those featured are Bill Belichick; Lane Kiffin, LSU head coach and former Alabama offensive coordinator; Steve Sarkisian; Kirby Smart; Tim Tebow; former Alabama quarterback and Super Bowl champ Jalen Hurts; and Tua Tagovailoa. Saban and his wife, Ms. Terry Saban, also participated.
“Nick Saban’s impact extends far beyond the championships and historic success he achieved on the field,” said Brian Lockhart, senior vice president of ESPN’s original content production, in a statement. “What makes this series so special is the extraordinary access to Coach Saban, Ms. Terry and the people who know him best, paired with rare footage that offers a new perspective on his remarkable journey. ‘Saban’ is a definitive portrait of one of the most consequential figures in college football history, and we’re proud to share it with fans.”
The series is produced produced by Words + Pictures’ Connor Schell, Libby Geist, Aaron Cohen and Alexa Conway along with Tom Rinaldi, with Gabe Honig serving as co-executive producer and showrunner.
An examination of Saban will reveal ” how every small detail matters and, in his case, that attention to detail and process has added up to an incredible journey and legacy,” says Schell, in a statement.
“You know, it’s not hard to convey Nick Saban’s intensity on screen, but I think what’ll surprise people is the heart that the story has,” says Dinallo.
