Legendary college football coach Nick Saban of Fairmont, West Virginia was honoured Thursday night at the 2024 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California with the 2024 ESPY Icon Award. The award ceremony happens once a year and honours excellence in the sports world in all sports.
Saban retired on January 10 after a legendary college football career at the University of Alabama. He won six College Football National Championships with the Crimson Tide in the last 17 years. Saban also won one National Championship as the head coach of Louisiana State University. Saban’s seven national titles overall in College Football are the most ever. Saban has one more national championship than former Crimson Tide head coach Bear Bryant of Moro Bottom, Arkansas, who is second on the list with six.
Overall, Saban had a record of 292 wins, 71 losses and one tie. In 2009 and 2020, Saban had an undefeated record with the Crimson Tide. He posted a record of 14 wins and zero losses in 2009, and 13 wins and zero losses in 2020.
Saban received the ESPY Award from two players he coached at the University of Alabama, who went on to win the Heisman Trophy as the best player in college football. They were running back Mark Ingram II of Hackensack, New Jersey, who was honoured in 2009, and quarterback Bryce Young of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who was honoured in 2022.
It should be noted that the ESPY Icon Award is not presented every year. In fact, Saban is only the sixth recipient of the award. The other five were New York Yankees Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter of Pequannock Township, New Jersey (2015), two-time Olympic gold medalist and second leading women’s soccer player all-time in goals, Abby Wambach of Rochester, New York (2016), Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning of New Orleans, Louisiana (2016), Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2016), and Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully of The Bronx, New York (2017).
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
