"All kids lived in a coal mining town": Nick Saban reveals genesis of his kids foundation while growing up under strict dad

Nick Saban is a visionary man. His works extend beyond the realms of football and sports, and it has gotten so big that he is fostering a new cultural shift in Alabama with the help of his Nick's Kids Foundation. The nonprofit organization was built in memory of Saban's father and his values.

Nick’s Kids Foundation focuses on supporting children, family and teacher development causes. While speaking to the Pure Athlete cast on Saturday, he gave a closer look at the works of his institutions and the major accomplishments since being inaugurated in 1998.

He mentioned the idea of a foundation stemmed after his dad's death when his mom asked him to do something for the kids and community that his father could be proud of.

“My dad started the pop warner football in West Virginia," Saban said [Timestamp - 5:00]. "All kids lived in a coal mining town. A lot of them didn't participate in sports because they couldn't get back and forth to school, because they lived in these hollows.

“And he bought a school bus, picked guys up, took them to practice, took them home, and all the kids came to my dad's service station, whether they needed to play basketball or whatever it was. And he always took him to Johnny sports shop, and because he thought sports were really important, he always promoted sports and the lessons you could learn in sports."

"And so my mom said, when my dad passed away, when I was, like, 21 or 22 years old, you know, if you ever get an opportunity to be in a position to, you know, help kids,” he added.

Nick Saban's foundation building a $100 million learning center in Tuscaloosa

Signing hefty checks to the specially abled kids and the children's hospital in Tuscaloosa happens to be a yearly drill for Nick Saban and his family.

“We built 21 homes for, you know, needy families, you know, in the community in Tuscaloosa," Saban said. "We built a school at the juvenile detention center for guys being able to get people being able to get their high school degree and welding school so that they could develop a trade so they wouldn't end up back there.”

A new building is being raised to facilitate a $100 million children's learning center in Tuscaloosa, which primarily focuses on kids' development, including schooling and promoting sports.

It will also become home to the STEM hub for teachers, helping them gain more training and achieve subject matter expertise across the fields.