73° CLEAR, Saban headed to Alabama
Last Modified: Wednesday, January 3, 2007 at 9:57 a.m.
TUSCALOOSA | Nick Saban is on his way to Tuscaloosa.
Saban is en route to a private airport to fly to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday morning, where he is expected to formally accept the job to become the Crimson Tide's 27th head football coach, ending a month-long wait by Tide fans and nationwide media frenzy to see who would replace Mike Shula.
Saban will fly to Tuscaloosa today with University of Alabama athletics director Mal Moore via private jet, and would be formally introduced at a news conference either later today or Thursday.
A formal announcement from the Miami Dolphins and owner H. Wayne Huizenga is expected this morning. Huizenga agreed to give Saban a 10 a.m. ET deadline to meet with him about staying with the Dolphins or heading to the Tide.
As reported by The Tuscaloosa News, Alabama's offer to Saban is for eight years and about $30 million plus incentives -- a total that would make him the highest-paid coach in college football history. Saban walks away from a deal with the Dolphins that paid him over $4 million per year.
Shula was fired in the late-night hours of Nov. 25, a little more than a week after the Tide had completed a 6-6 season with a 22-15 loss to Auburn -- UA's fifth straight defeat to the Tigers.
Under interim head coach/defensive coordinator Joe Kines, the Crimson Tide completed the 2006 season on Dec. 28 with a loss to Oklahoma State in the Independence Bowl.
Saban made his college legacy at LSU, where he led the Tigers to the 2003 BCS National Championship.
| College | ||||
| Year | School | Overall | Conference | Bowl |
| 1990 | Toledo | 9-2 | 7-1 | None |
| 1995 | Michigan State | 6-5-1 | 4-3-1 | Independence |
| 1996 | Michigan State | 6-6 | 5-3 | Sun |
| 1997 | Michigan State | 7-5 | 4-4 | Aloha |
| 1998 | Michigan State | 6-6 | 4-4 | None |
| 1999 | Michigan State | 9-2 | 6-2 | Citrus^ |
| 2000 | LSU | 8-4 | 5-3 | Peach |
| 2001 | LSU | 10-3 | 6-3^^ | Sugar |
| 2002 | LSU | 8-5 | 5-3 | Cotton |
| 2003 | LSU | 13-1 | 8-1^^ | Sugar^^^ |
| 2004 | LSU | 9-3 | 6-2 | Capital One |
| TOTALS 91-42-1 60-29-1 | ||||
| ^ Saban resigned on Nov. 30, 1999, Citrus Bowl coached by Bobby Williams | ||||
| ^^ Includes win in SEC Championship Game | ||||
| ^^^ BCS National Champions | ||||
| National Football League | ||||
| Year | Team | Overall | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2005 | Miami | 9-7 | 2nd AFC East | None |
| 2006 | Miami | 6-10 | 4th AFC East | None |
| TOTALS 15-17 | ||||
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