Is Lou Saban related to Nick Saban?

Alabama coach Nick Saban has become synonymous with college football and a legacy in Tuscaloosa. He shares a surname with another famous coach, Lou Saban, who was a pioneer in both professional and college football.

The two coaches could not be more different. While Nick has stayed at Alabama for 17 years, Lou was nicknamed 'Lou 2.2' because he stayed in jobs for an average of 2.2 years and held 21 coaching jobs during his career.

Is Lou Saban related to Nick Saban?

Yes, Lou Saban and Nick Saban are second cousins. According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Lou Saban confirmed in an interview that the two are indeed related after Joyce Saban, Lou's wife, made the claim that they were.

Lou's side of the family settled in La Grange while Nick's side settled in West Virginia. Interestingly enough, the Alabama coach's second name is Lou, named after his father, whose father migrated from Croatia, the same as Lou's parents.

According to an interview with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Alabama coach commented on the name similarity between the two coaches.

“I was born in 1951, and I think he (Lou) was playing for the Browns,” said Saban. “That’s why my middle name was Lou."

When 80-year-old Lou Saban took the Chowan College job in 2001, Nick was 49 and the LSU coach. When he was asked about it, Nick laughed and shared his admiration for Lou:

“If I’m doing this when I’m 80,” Saban said. “I’m amazed that he’s coaching at 80 years old.”

According to Outkick, during a 2021 interview, Lou Saban commented on the Alabama coach's facial resemblance with him:

“There’s quite a resemblance in the face,” Lou said. “And his hair stands up on his head like mine. He’s quite active on the sidelines, like me.”

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A tale of two Sabans: Nick Saban and Lou Saban

Nick and Lou Saban have been confused for the same man due to their shared surname and success in football.

While campaigning for former Auburn Tigers coach, Tommy Tubberville, who was fighting for the 2020 Alabama Republican senate nomination, former President Donald Trump confused Lou and Nick Saban:

"(He is a) really successful coach. (He) beat Alabama, like six in a row, but we won't even mention that. As he said ... because of that, maybe we got 'em (Alabama) Lou Saban. ... and he's great, Lou Saban, what a great job he's done."

While it's true that Tommy Tubberville did beat Alabama seven times during his nine-year reign at Auburn, the streak ended the year Nick Saban was appointed coach. Saban won the next meeting in 2008, 36-0.

It's truly a tale of the two Sabans.