Nick Saban Previews Upcoming Docuseries on ESPN's 'Get Up'

Nick Saban says viewers will get an unprecedented look at his coaching philosophy and journey in an upcoming six-part ESPN docuseries that is set to premiere on Oct. 8.

The seven-time national champion appeared on ESPN’s “Get Up” to preview the project, sharing his thoughts on what fans can expect to see. 

Host Mike Greenberg, who’s talked to sources who have seen the full docuseries, said the project has received glowing praise, with some comparing it to the company’s famous series chronicling NBA legend Michael Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls.

“I have some people that have screened tell me that they think it's the best thing that we’ve done at ESPN since ‘The Last Dance’, which is about the highest praise that anything could possibly be offered,” Greenberg said. 

Saban’s series features more than 70 interviews with players, coaches, family and media who were closest with the coach, providing fans with an all-access dive into the moments and conversations that shaped one of the most successful careers in college football history.

Saban believes the project gives viewers insight into how championship programs are built.

“I think this is sort of a navigation of the development of a career, development of a program, and for the fans, it’s kind of an inside outlook,” he said. “I mean, as fans, we always look at things from outside in.”

Saban detailed the early years of his career when he was the head coach at Michigan State, where he compiled a career record of 34-24-1 in five seasons from 1995-99.

“I think I was always sort of a transactional guy,” he said. “Win, win, win, and talked about winning, and probably didn’t focus enough on the journey of which you had to do to win. So I became very process-oriented there, focus on one play at a time.”

His mindset shifted toward emphasizing daily habits and controllable actions rather than outcomes.

“It’s all focus on the journey, don’t focus on the outcome,” Saban said. “Focus on the things you have to do to accomplish what you want to accomplish. Focus on the things you can control.” 

Saban said that this philosophy resonated with players because the kids who came to Alabama were already incredibly driven.

“Most guys that I coached were very ambitious in terms of what they wanted to accomplish and what they wanted to do,” Saban said. “And when you could appeal to that, show them what they needed to do to accomplish what they wanted to accomplish, it was a great individual motivator.”

The part of the docuseries that Saban says is the most interesting is the never-before-seen footage that Alabama recorded throughout his tenure.

“Well, secretly, Alabama was creating an archive of all these things, and all these talks that I gave,” he said. “And a lot of them are about, this is what you’ve got to do to be successful, this is what you have to do to maintain success. And I think that if people can take that away- consistency and performance- that would be something that we always tried to get our players to buy into, and I think that would help them be successful in their life.”

The six-part docuseries premieres Oct. 8 on ESPN, with all episodes becoming available to stream on the ESPN app.