"I always try to focus on the individual": Nick Saban gets real about motivating vs b*tt chewing on sidelines during his coaching days

Legendary coach Nick Saban had his way of doing things, especially when it comes to coaching players and winning national championships. Fans have often seen him getting animated on the sidelines and getting under their skin. He has a special phrase to reference it—"butt chewing" with the players. More often than not, it has worked in his favor.

The veteran coach recently spoke to the "Pure Athlete" panelists, sharing his life experiences and stories from his coaching days. Saban was asked about how he balanced motivating the players and butt-chewing on the field.

The 73-year-old mentioned that his intention was always player development, hence he often treats every athlete differently based on their caliber and way of handling things.

He claims some players were hard on themselves and had enough motivation to pull through. On the other hand, some used to be complacent and often needed butt kicks to shake off their lethargy.

“I always sort of had a lot of respect for any player that's a competitor and wants to do well. And I think when you start with that, you have a better perspective, rather than you look at things from their perspective, not your perspective,” Saban said to the panelists on Friday. [Timestamp: 28:52]

“When guys are not doing intangible things, whether it's giving effort or focusing or making mental errors, or things that they can actually control. You know that is something that you can't tolerate, and you really want to maybe sometimes get after a guy a little bit for it, but when guys are doing those things and just not having success. I think that that's when you want to pat them on the back and get them to believe in themselves.

“I always try to focus on the individual, you know, and not look at like one size fits all, and try to take the best approach with that particular guy to help him have success,” he added.

Nick Saban ventures into a new phase post-retirement.

Saban's retirement came at an unprecedented time when Alabama was on the trajectory to win another national championship. There were reports that his stepping down was due to the latest changes in revenue management and NIL taking over college football. To some extent, the rumors turned out to be true.

After bidding adieu to his coaching career of almost 50 years, Saban found his success in the broadcasting world. His first year at ESPN as the College GameDay analyst alongside Pat McAfee, among others, made him a fan favorite.

With Lee Corso slowly stepping down from his position, Saban is expected to carry forward the legacy in the near future.