400 Best Nick Saban Quotes On Leadership (2023)

1. “Putting things in perspective affects how you react, which in turn affects the potential positives resulting from the challenge.”

2. “There is no continuum for success. Focus on the progress, not the results.”

3. “Be all you can be in whatever you choose to do. The sky is the limit, so go for it. And do not create any self-imposed limitations.”

4. “We kind of have a younger generation now that doesn’t always get told no. They don’t always get told, ‘This is exactly how you need to do it.’ So, they have this illusion they have all these choices. But the fact of the matter is, if you want to be good, you really don’t have a lot of choices because it takes what it takes.”

5. “Some of the great leaders in history were not adored but respected. My advice to leaders: Stop trying to please everyone and do what you believe is best.”

6. “The roster that we have today may change tomorrow. It is what it is for right now.”

7. “Your message should be constant. Talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol from an early age and don’t stop. Encourage your employees every day—not simply after successes, but through the tough times as well.” ― Nick Saban

8. “Teaching is the ability to inspire learning.” ~ Nick Saban

9. “We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody’s got to buy into that standard or you really can’t have any team chemistry. Mediocre people don’t like high-achievers and high-achievers don’t like mediocre people.”

10. “When you have something good happen, it’s the special people that can stay focused and keep paying attention to detail, working to get better and not being satisfied with what they have accomplished.”

11. “Having skill is not having talent.”

12. “The difference between belief and trust can be monumental. We may believe in others, but do we really trust them? To firmly trust people means putting your own successes and health in their hands.”

13. “Sometimes the process of success takes time to develop. Our society gears young people to expect immediate results and affirmation for their efforts.”

14. “By definition, a leader is “a person who rules or guides or inspires others.” But that’s not entirely true. A person “who rules” may or may not be a leader, even if he or she is the ruler or manager. You see, just because you’re in command of a company, a team, or an army battalion, that does not qualify you as a leader. Perhaps you attained that position by experience or success, or maybe you simply outlasted everyone else. Regardless, how you lead defines you as a leader.” ― Nick Saban

15. “Football is not Hamlet. It’s not tragedy. It should be fun.”

16. “Mediocre people hate high achievers, and high achievers hate mediocre people.” ~ Nick Saban

17. “One thing about championship teams is that they’re resilient. No matter what is thrown at them, no matter how deep the hole, they find a way to bounce back and overcome adversity.” ~ Nick Saban

18. “The thing that concerns me the most is when I hear that people are making a lot of money a lot of ways except for the athletes, whether it's on the bowl games, the TV contracts, the conferences, the schools, the coaches, however you want to say it.”

19. “Eliminate the clutter and all the things that are going on outside and focus on the things that you can control with how you sort of go about and take care of your business. That’s something that’s ongoing, and it can never change.”

20. “You can’t keep doing the same things over and over and expect to get different results.”

21. Three-time national college football champion Urban Meyer distills his system for building exceptional leaders.

22. “We’ll learn from this. We’ll get better from this. We have to. We have a lot of football left to play, and we have a chance to be a really good team.

23. “You must trust, not just believe.”

24. “Baseball manager Casey Stengel once quipped, ‘The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided.’”

25. “And they ran through our ass like shit through a tin horn, man, and we could not stop them. We could not stop them. Could not stop them.”

26. “I don’t care what you did yesterday. If you’re happy with that, you have bigger problems.”

27. “I've always been able to stay focused on trying to recruit good players and trying to develop those players.”

28. “I want what’s best for our country. I’m not sure I can figure that out.” ― Nick Saban

29. “Paranoia over being cheated out of one’s rightful share. Along with feeling that they are not appreciated, these individuals are routinely concerned about who gets credit and who gets blame. No credit given to them is ever enough, and too much offered to a teammate is flat-out wrong. They are concerned not with the team’s success, but with whether they are going to get credit for any success.”

30. “Anyone who doesn’t win their conference has no business playing in the national championship game.”

31. “We have got to use every opportunity to improve individually so we can improve collectively.” ~ Nick Saban

32. “A truly unselfish team player does not care who gets credit for success and is willing to take on blame when things don’t go right. Unfortunately, we live in a world when the selfish seem to outnumber the unselfish. Pat Riley points out that the people who create 20 percent of a team’s effectiveness may feel that they are deserving of 80 percent of the credit and rewards. The weaker links on a team or in an organization are often the ones who clamor for more credit.”

33. “I think I’m pretty misunderstood because I’m not just about football.” ~ Nick Saban

34. “Lesson 11. Teams that play together often end up lucky.” ― Nick Saban

35. “It’s about how the players play and compete. I know everybody is going to equate that on winning or losing like they always do, but if we play hard and compete well in the game .. then I think we are building on something.” ~ Nick Saban

36. “When you invest your time, you make a goal and a decision of something that you want to accomplish. Whether it’s make good grades in school, be a good athlete, be a good person, go down and do some community service and help somebody who’s in need, whatever it is you choose to do, you’re investing your time in that.” ~ Nick Saban

37. “The ‘good is enough’ attitude is not what we’re looking for, we have got to use every opportunity to improve individually so we can improve collectively.” ― Nick Saban

38. “Education does not promise success but makes it easier.” ― Nick Saban

39. “I grew up with the idea that you play good defense, you run the ball, you control vertical field position on special teams and you’re going to win. Whoever rushes the ball for the most yards is going to win the game. You’re not going to win anything now doing that.”

40. “Dominant teams not only don’t care where they play, they relish the challenge of going into someone else’s home and overcoming the adversity created by the environment.”

41. “I’ve never considered joining Twitter, nor do I know why anybody would.”

42. “To be a great player, you have to affect the entire unit.” ~ Nick Saban

43. “Do the right thing. It’s that simple. Do the right thing when the right thing is not popular. Do the right thing when no one else is around. Do the right thing when temptation tells you otherwise. Do the right thing all the time.”

44. “…don’t want to see, you must decide if the battle is worth your time and effort. In your life, only you can decide what is worth going to battle for, keeping in mind what may be sacrificed in the process.” ― Nick Saban

45. “You see, just because you’re in command of a company, a team, or an army battalion, that does not qualify you as a leader. Perhaps you attained that position by experience or success, or maybe you simply outlasted everyone else. Regardless, how you lead defines you as a leader.”

46. “We have to compete within ourselves relative to the determination it takes to be successful.” ~ Nick Saban

47. “A truly unselfish team player does not care who gets credit for success and is willing to take on blame when things don’t go right.”

48. “I asked my priest if it was a sin to play golf on Sunday. And he said, ‘It’s a sin for you to play anytime.’”

49. “People who are role models for the principles and values of the organization, who buy in and understand the vision of what the organization is trying to accomplish, and have the personality to inspire other people to the vision. You know, that’s what team chemistry and leadership is all about.”

50. “If we just didn’t do that kind of stuff, we wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

51. “We create a standard for how we want to do things, and everybody's got to buy into that standard or you really can't have any team chemistry.”

52. “If you don’t get result-oriented with the kids, you can focus on the things in the process that are important to them being successful.” ~ Nick Saban

53. “Any team that does not win it’s conference championship game should not play in the BCS title game” ~ Nick Saban

54. “Adversity creates opportunity.”

55. “Mediocre people don’t like high achievers, and high achievers don’t like mediocre people.”

56. “Focus on the process of what it takes to be successful.”

57. “The difference between belief and trust can be monumental. We may believe in others, but do we really trust them? To firmly trust people means putting your own successes and health in their hands.” ― Nick Saban

58. “I asked my priest if it was a sin to play golf on Sunday. And he said, “It’s a sin for you to play anytime.”” ~ Nick Saban

59. “There is no continuum for success. Focus on the progress, not the results.” ~ Nick Saban

60. “So I want everybody to think here for a second. How much does this game mean to you? ‘Cause it if means something to you, you can’t stand still. You understand? You play fast. You play strong. You go out there and dominate the man you’re playing against and you make his ass quit. That’s our trademark. That’s our M.O. as a team. That’s what people know us as.”

61. “If you expect things to be difficult, it will always be easier to solve problems, overcome adversity, and have an enthusiastic energy about how you go about and enjoy your work.”

62. “Promise a starting time, but not a quitting time.”

63. “Win” to me means What Is Important Now.

64. “Discipline is not punishment. Discipline is changing someone’s behavior.”

65. “High achievers don’t like mediocre people, mediocre people don’t like high achievers.”

66. “The formula for success is every guy can make a difference for the entire team in whatever his role is. And to do it right, to get it right, is a critical factor in being successful.”

67. “Great leaders are not always popular.”

68. “There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you’ll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment.” ― Nick Saban

69. “Lesson 10. Teams must take ownership for themselves and their personalities.” ― Nick Saban

70. “Some of the great leaders in history were not adored but respected. My advice to leaders—stop trying to please everyone and do what you believe is best.”

71. “It doesn’t matter what you are ranked until the end.”

72. “You’ve been wrong five years in a row and every year we’ve won it, you haven’t picked us. But I’m rooting for you. “

73. “Becoming a champion is not an easy process… It is done by focusing on what it takes to get there and not on getting there.”

74. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell

75. “One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around guns unless you're going hunting, and you don't want to mess around with women that you don't know because a lot of times, bad things happen.”

76. “Character is what you do when no one else is watching.” ― Nick Saban

77. “It doesn’t matter what you are ranked until the end.” ~ Nick Saban

78. “Success doesn’t come from pie-in-the-sky thinking. It’s the result of consciously doing something each day that will add to your overall excellence.” ~ Nick Saban

79. “If you think you are dominant, you will be… You can be dominant without disrespecting competitors or sacrificing what you believe in. Develop an attitude that you simply cannot be beaten—that you are an overpowering force.”

80. “So my question to you is, where do you want them to be? Want to condemn them to a life sentence? Or do you want a guy to have his children going to Princeton?”

81. “I always ask myself the question, do you like to win, or do you hate to lose?” ― Nick Saban

82. “You must decide if the battle is worth your time and effort. In your life, only you can decide what is worth going to battle for, keeping in mind what may be sacrificed in the process.”

83. “Dominant people don’t care what the score is… Just because you’re ahead doesn’t mean it will always be that way, so don’t look at the scoreboard, and keep doing what you’ve been doing to be successful.”

84. “Honesty and integrity are an important part of our character, my character.”

85. “Ultimately, it is up to individuals to decide who they want to be. You can encourage behavior and success, but you cannot dictate it.”

86. “A good coach can change a game, a great coach can change a life,” correctly said by John Wooden, a great head coach not only guides through the games, but also mentors and builds characters and hence vastly impacts life. After winning six national championships and numerous matches the name of University of Alabama football coach, Nick Saban, has become synonymous with winning.

87. “We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody's got to buy into that standard or you really can't have any team chemistry. Mediocre people don't like high-achievers and high-achievers don't like mediocre people.”

88. “There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you’ll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment.” ~ Nick Saban

89. “In my three decades of coaching, I’ve learned that the process is much more important than the result.”

90. “Becoming a champion is not an easy process… It is done by focusing on what it takes to get there and not on getting there.” ~ Nick Saban

91. “We all have anxiety about things. We all have little insecurities, but eventually you have to face your fears if you want to be successful, and everybody has some fear of failure.”

92. “Just because you are dominant does not mean you are infallible… Dominance does not mean perfection.”

93. “You can’t kick people out of your family. There’s never been a player that I’ve kicked off the team that ever amounted to anything.”

94. “Finally, your attitude is critical to success. Having a positive attitude can have a tremendous effect on how you react and respond to challenges, successes, and failures. And attitude is directly affected by expectations. If you expect things to be difficult, it will always be easier to solve problems, overcome adversity, and have an enthusiastic energy about how you go about and enjoy your work.” ― Nick Saban

95. “Becoming a champion is not an easy process... It is done by focusing on what it takes to get there and not on getting there.”

96. “I don’t control what people put on dot-com or anything else. So I’m just telling you there’s no significance, in my opinion, about this, about me, about any interest that I have in anything other than being the coach here.”

97. “I don't think it's about who you play, I think it's about who you are.”

98. “Lesson 2. Everything you do, you do to the team.” ― Nick Saban

99. “Worry about the things you can control in your life, both professionally and personally. Don’t worry too much about whether or not people like you, and don’t get anxious about an impending situation. You can’t control these things.”

100. “Do what you do and be who you are.” ~ Nick Saban

101. “I’ll just say, while we’re on the subject, I read his point about combating traditional threats. And I couldn’t help but think and hope that we’ve seen from other countries around the world, and I hope that our country will take action against Turkey and Azerbaijan for their unprovoked and deadly attacks on Armenians,” Belichick said. “We’ve seen that when a humanitarian crisis and things like that, like ethnic cleansing, go unpunished, that they just continue to happen. I hope that we can put a stop to that.”

102. “Mediocre people don’t like high achievers and high achievers don’t like mediocre people.”

103. “Our goal is to work against things we have not seen that we will see in the near future.”

104. “Mediocre people hate high achievers, and high achievers hate mediocre people.”

105. “You guys gave us a lot of really positive rat poison. The rat poison that you usually give us is usually fatal. But the rat poison that you put out there this week was yummy.”

106. “You manage things; you lead people.” – Grace Hopper

107. “The formula for success is every guy can make a difference for the entire team in whatever his role is. And to do it right, to get it right, is a critical factor in being successful.” ~ Nick Saban

108. “Lesson 5. You can have no flickering lights.” ― Nick Saban

109. “Lesson 6. Do not allow mistakes to go uncorrected.” ― Nick Saban

110. “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” – Lao Tzu

111. “There's two parts of leadership. You've got to be a good leader - you've got to be somebody that people want to emulate and care about the other people. But the other guys that you have have to accept their leadership. They have to respond to it. That's the chemistry that you never know how that is going to happen.”

112. “There were no arguments, those are called ass-chewings.”

113. “We’re not going to talk about what we’re going to accomplish, we’re going to talk about how we’re going to do it.”

114. “Now, everybody always says there’s no ‘I’ in team, but there is an ‘I’ in win, because the individuals make the team what it is, and how they think and what they do is important to the

115. “Some of the great leaders in history were not adored but respected. My advice to leaders—stop trying to please everyone and do what you believe is best.” ― Nick Saban

116. “As bad as you think you want to win it. I promise you the guys that go out there and work every day—they want to win it more than that. And I’m going to feel a hell of a lot worse for them than you if they don’t.”

117. “There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment.”

118. “Success is not a destination, it’s a journey.”

119. “Every time you think of winning the national championship—stop. Instead, think of what you have to do to dominate your opponent for sixty minutes.”

120. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” – Proverbs 29:18

121. “The weaker links on a team or in an organization are often the ones who clamor for more credit.”

122. “I think everybody should take the attitude that we’re working to be a champion, that we want to be a champion in everything that we do. Every choice, every decision, everything that we do every day, we want to be a champion.”

123. “I want what’s best for our country. I’m not sure I can figure that out.”

124. “Eliminate the clutter and all the things that are going on outside and focus on the things that you can control with how you sort of go about and take care of your business. That’s something that’s ongoing, and it can never change.” ~ Nick Saban

125. “When you have a system, you kind of get in a routine of what’s important. And then you spend a lot more time on thinking of things that would make it better.”

126. “Character is what you do when no one else is watching.”

127. “Not only should you not concern yourself with the score, you should also avoid setting the bar or establishing benchmarks for success.”

128. “Chronic feelings of underappreciation. The players who suffer from the “disease of me” syndrome constantly feel that they are overlooked in praise. We all want to be patted on the back, but some individuals demand constant attention and sulk when they believe, rightly or wrongly, that their skills and efforts are being underappreciated. It leads to jealousy and bad chemistry.”

129. “Be on time because it shows you care.” ~ Nick Saban

130. “What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow is a mystery. What we do today makes a difference - the precious present moment.”

131. “I always ask myself the question, ‘Do you like to win, or do you hate to lose?’”

132. “When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results.”

133. “I’m tired of hearing all this talk from people who don’t understand the process of hard work-like little kids in the back seat asking, ‘Are we there yet?’ Get where you’re going one-mile marker at a time.”

134. “In your life, only you can decide what is worth going to battle for, keeping in mind what may be sacrificed in the process. One of the things that experience gives us is ab ability to sense how much roadkill it takes to get home.”

135. “We all have anxiety about things. We all have little insecurities, but eventually, you have to face your fears if you want to be successful, and everybody has some fear of failure.”

136. “So I want everybody to think here for a second. How much does this game mean to you? ‘Cause it if means something to you, you can’t stand still. You understand?”

137. “Lesson 2. Great leaders allow the team to take ownership of the rules.”

138. “Your attitude is critical to success. If you expect things to be difficult, it will always be easier to solve problems, overcome adversity, and have an enthusiastic energy about how you go about and enjoy your work.” – Nick Saban

139. “I focus on only the things I can control: my effort and my attitude in the present moment. I refuse to stress or worry about the negative people and events I have no control over.”

140. “It’s sometimes difficult for employees to respect individual differences in their co-workers. Often I remind our various staff groups that we treat everyone fairly and honestly—but we don’t treat them all the same.”

141. “It’s not human nature to be great. It’s human nature to survive, to be average and do what you have to do to get by.”

142. “What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow is a mystery. What we do today makes a difference—the precious present moment.”

143. “No matter what your chosen profession, be prepared for opportunity and be willing to take it—your destiny may depend on it.”

144. “In your business and personal life, think of those who are dominant. What do they all have in common? Do you have it in you to be like them?”

145. “Anyone who doesn't win their conference has no business playing in the national championship game.”

146. “When you play against good people, that’s when you focus your concentration. Your sense of urgency to be disciplined in your execution all become more critical. Sometimes you get away with doing things not quite right against lesser competition, but when you play against real good people that’s when it shows up.” ~ Nick Saban

147. “If I had a barometer to see whether you were giving effort, or not, it was about 50%.”

148. “The thing that concerns me the most is when I hear that people are making a lot of money a lot of ways except for the athletes, whether it’s on the bowl games, the TV contracts, the conferences, the schools, the coaches, however you want to say it.”

149. “Success doesn’t come from pie-in-the-sky thinking. It’s the result of consciously doing something each day that will add to your overall excellence.”

150. “We all have anxiety about things. We all have little insecurities, but eventually you have to face your fears if you want to be successful, and everybody has some fear of failure.” ~ Nick Saban

151. “Any team that does not win it’s conference championship game should not play in the BCS title game.”

152. “The number one thing needed to win is mindset.”

153. “Teams that play together often end up lucky.”

154. “No matter what your chosen profession, be prepared for opportunity, and be willing to take it—your destiny may depend on it.” ― Nick Saban

155. “Mediocre people don’t like high achievers and high achievers don’t like mediocre people.” ~ Nick Saban

156. “That’s the mentality champions have. Winning on the road in sports or going into a rival company’s region and winning just feels better. Instead of seeing the challenge as We have to, we should see all challenges as we get to.”

157. “In the NFL you get one first-round draft pick if you’re lucky. You couldn’t really outwork anybody else. In college I could recruit ten players with first-round talent every year.” ~ Nick Saban

158. “Teams must take ownership for themselves and their personalities.”

159. “Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all-time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time.”

160. “In life, your road map is knowing what you want to accomplish then committing yourself to doing the things necessary to reach that destination. You cannot get there without hard work and perseverance.”

161. “Mediocre people don’t like high achievers, and high achievers don’t like mediocre people.” ― Nick Saban

162. “You all just think that whatever happens we just shit another player, everything’s going to be perfect. All of our fans think that, you all think that, that’s what you write about, that’s the message that you send out there.”

163. “When you play against good people, that's when you focus your concentration. Your sense of urgency to be disciplined in your execution all become more critical. Sometimes you get away with doing things not quite right against lesser competition, but when you play against real good people that's when it shows up.”

164. “By definition, a leader is ‘a person who rules or guides or inspires others.’ But that’s not entirely true. A person ‘who rules’ may or may not be a leader, even if he or she is the ruler or manager.”

165. “As a leader, you cannot force the opposition to feel they can’t succeed— they will do that on their own. But you can lead your team to such dominance that giving in becomes the opposition’s only solution. Keep on your team to push hard and, eventually, the other team will submit.”

166. “In Search of Excellence” Revisited

167. “I guess I have to say it, I’m not going to be the Alabama coach.”

168. “I don’t think it’s about who you play, I think it’s about who you are.” ~ Nick Saban

169. “As a leader, you cannot force the opposition to feel they can’t succeed— they will do that on their own. But you can lead your team to such dominance that giving in becomes the opposition’s only solution. Keep on your team to push hard and, eventually, the other team will submit.” ― Nick Saban

170. “The more one emphasizes winning, the less he or she is able to concentrate on what actually causes success.” ~ Nick Saban

171. “When you invest your time, you make a goal and a decision of something that you want to accomplish. Whether it’s to get good grades in school, be a good athlete, be a good person, go down and do some community service, and help somebody who’s in need, whatever it is you choose to do, you’re investing your time in that.”

172. “I'm tired of hearing all this talk from people who don't understand the process of hard work-like little kids in the back seat asking 'Are we there yet?' Get where you're going 1 mile-marker at a time.”

173. “Dominant teams rarely are outplayed or outclassed, but they sometimes beat themselves. Just because you are dominant does not mean you are infallible. Remember that dominance does not mean perfection; a lack of focus for even a short period of time can cost you. Do not relax when you are far ahead or dominating your marketplace. That is the time to push even harder.” ― Nick Saban

174. “Chronic feelings of underappreciation. The players who suffer from the ‘disease of me’ syndrome constantly feel that they are overlooked in praise. We all want to be patted on the back, but some individuals demand constant attention and sulk when they believe, rightly or wrongly, that their skills and efforts are being underappreciated. It leads to jealousy and bad chemistry.”

175. “The major by-product of creating a mission statement and vision for you or your organization is that it creates a culture of expectations. If you have clearly defined who you are and where you want to go, then there is no longer any need for debate about it… everyone knows what to expect.”

176. “When you have the ability to affect other people and be somebody that somebody wants to emulate, care enough to help somebody else for their benefit, that’s what makes you a good teammate, and that’s what everybody’s looking for.” ― Nick Saban

177. “No matter what your chosen profession, be prepared for opportunity, and be willing to take it—your destiny may depend on it.”

178. “I’m tired of hearing all this talk from people who don’t understand the process of hard work — like little kids in the back seat asking, ‘Are we there yet?’ Get where you’re going one mile-marker at a time.”

179. “In the NFL you get one first-round draft pick if you’re lucky. You couldn’t really outwork anybody else. In college I could recruit ten players with first-round talent every year.”

180. “You can’t win together if you don’t work together.”

181. “Your character is your accumulation of your thoughts, habits and priorities on a day-to-day basis.”

182. “It’s not about winning and losing, it’s about how you play the game.”

183. “People who are role models for the principles and values of the organization, who buy-in and understand the vision of what the organization is trying to accomplish, and have the personality to inspire other people to the vision. You know, that’s what team chemistry and leadership is all about.”

184. “That’s the mentality champions have. Winning on the road in sports or going into a rival company’s region and winning just feels better. Instead of seeing the challenge as We have to, we should see all challenges as we get to.” ― Nick Saban

185. “Win the team.” You win the players over (as a quarterback) by your performance, your ability to play with some consistency, (and) to execute. They develop confidence in you. You develop confidence in them and that’s where the chemistry comes from that’s necessary to score points and execute in a consistent fashion.

186. “Focus on the play like it has a history and a life of its own.” ~ Nick Saban

187. “We had more skill than you can imagine, at almost every position. But guys didn’t want to put in the effort or to play with toughness and togetherness, and the incredible skills never developed into talent.”

188. “Every choice, every decision, everything we do every day, we want to be a champion” ~ Nick Saban

189. “I’m tired of hearing all this talk from people who don’t understand the process of hard work-like little kids in the back seat asking ‘Are we there yet?’ Get where you’re going 1-mile marker at a time.” ~ Nick Saban

190. “don’t want to see, you must decide if the battle is worth your time and effort. In your life, only you can decide what is worth going to battle for, keeping in mind what may be sacrificed in the process.”

191. “On the field, a player who looks up at the score to find he’s losing by 28 points is not likely to play as hard as if the score were tied. But he should, if it is most important to give your best on each play.”

192. “I’ve never considered joining Twitter, nor do I know why anybody would.”

193. “Great leaders do not rush to make changes because of failure.”

194. “Your attitude is critical to success. Having a positive attitude can have a tremendous effect on how you react and respond to challenges, successes, and failures. And attitude is directly affected by expectations.”

195. “The expectations are what they are here, and we don’t run around talking about them.”

196. “We all have anxiety about things. We all have little insecurities, but eventually you have to face your fears if you want to be successful, and everybody has some fear of failure.” — Nick Saban

197. “Success doesn't come from pie-in-the-sky thinking. It's the result of consciously doing something each day that will add to your overall excellence.”

198. “If I had a barometer...to see whether you were giving effort, or not, it was about 50 percent.”

199. “Great leaders do not rush to make changes because of failure.” ― Nick Saban

200. “Recognize certain traits that seem to be in every champion: passion, commitment, confidence, pride in performance, high standards of excellence, relentlessness, perseverance, and the ability to perform in adverse circumstances.” ― Nick Saban

201. “I’m just looking for enough players that are committed to winning that we can develop a good team.”

202. “You’re not getting a bunch of pats on the back” might be one of the signatures of the Pragmatist leadership style. Working for them is not for the faint-of-heart or thin-skinned, as there will often be more criticism than praise. If you want to know your own leadership style, take the test What’s Your Leadership Style?

203. “Lesson 4. Don’t forget the fundamentals.” ― Nick Saban

204. “Leaders are people who are willing to follow when it is called for.”

205. “Your disposition and expectations about what it will take to get you where you want to go are truly the core of not getting frustrated by the task at hand. Expect it to be hard.”

206. “Your character is your accumulation of your thoughts, habits, and priorities on a day-to-day basis.”

207. “They all think they have this illusion of choice. Like I can do whatever I want to do. And you kind of has a younger generation now that doesn’t always get told no, they don’t always get told this is exactly how you need to do it. So they have this illusion that they have all these choices. But the fact of the matter is, if you want to be good, you really don’t have a lot of choices. Because it takes what it takes. You have to do what you have to do to be successful. So you have to make choices and decisions to have the discipline and focus on the process of what you need to do to accomplish your goals.”

208. “Focus on the play like it has a history and a life of its own.”

209. “There’s two parts of leadership: You’ve got to be a good leader. You’ve got to be somebody that people want to emulate and care about the other people. But the other guys that you have have to accept their leadership. They have to respond to it. That’s the chemistry that you never know how that is going to happen.”

210. “I don't control what people put on dot-com or anything else. So I'm just telling you there's no significance, in my opinion, about this, about me, about any interest that I have in anything other than being the coach here.”

211. “Finally, your attitude is critical to success. Having a positive attitude can have a tremendous effect on how you react and respond to challenges, successes, and failures. And attitude is directly affected by expectations. If you expect things to be difficult, it will always be easier to solve problems, overcome adversity, and have an enthusiastic energy about how you go about and enjoy your work.”

212. “This is an opportunity for each and every one of those guys to show what they can do.”

213. “I don’t like to lose. I don’t expect to lose.” ~ Nick Saban

214. “It doesn’t matter what you are ranked until the end.”

215. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

216. “The thing they were most concerned about is that he had a commitment to come back and try to help the team be successful.”

217. “I don’t care what you did yesterday. If you’re happy with that, you have bigger problems.” ~ Nick Saban

218. “It’s sometimes difficult for employees to respect individual differences in their coworkers. Often I remind our various staff groups that we treat everyone fairly and honestly—but we don’t treat them all the same.” ― Nick Saban

219. “I don’t think it’s about who you play, I think it’s about who you are.”

220. “Don’t ever miss the opportunity to say, “Good job”.” ― Nick Saban

221. “I think I’m pretty misunderstood because I’m not just about football.”

222. “Every choice, every decision, everything we do everyday, we want to be a champion.”

223. “College football is the only game in the country, of any kind, that the college game is longer than the pro game.”

224. “If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

225. “Don’t forget the fundamentals.”

226. “The opponent should never determine your level of competitive spirit.”

227. “I think everybody makes mistakes. People do things that they regret.” ~ Nick Saban

228. “Do the right thing. It’s that simple. Do the right thing when the right thing is not popular. Do the right thing when no one else is around. Do the right thing when temptation tells you otherwise. Do the right thing all the time.” ― Nick Saban

229. “If it was up to you, we’re six-foot under already. We’re dead and buried and gone. Gone. So, if that was the case, we’d have to get some respirators out or something down there to put life back in people.”

230. “The process is really what you have to do day in and day out to be successful. We try to define the standard that we want everybody to sort of work toward, adhere to, and do it on a consistent basis. And the things that I talked about before, being responsible for your own self-determination, having a positive attitude, having great work ethic, having discipline to be able to execute on a consistent basis, whatever it is you’re trying to do, those are the things that we try to focus on, and we don’t try to focus as much on the outcomes as we do on being all that you can be.”

231. “Eliminate all the clutter and all of the things that are going on outside and focus on the things that you can control with how you go about and take care of your business. Take the other team out of the game and make it all about you and what you do.”

232. “Everybody hits me up for eating Little Debbies, but no one passes that cookie jar.”

233. “With your A-game, you can beat anybody; anything less, and they can beat you.”

234. “Lesson 9. Sometimes what is best for the individual is not what is best for the team.” ― Nick Saban

235. “If it was up to you, we’re six-foot under already. We’re dead and buried and gone, gone.”

236. “Live by the creed that a strong work ethic, playing by the rules, and doing things the right way will bring about opportunities for success and, ultimately, happiness.” ~ Nick Saban

237. “In your business and personal life, think of those who are dominant. What do they all have in common? Do you have it in you to be like them?” ― Nick Saban

238. “A truly unselfish team player does not care who gets credit for success and is willing to take on blame when things don’t go right. Unfortunately, we live in a world when the selfish seem to outnumber the unselfish. Pat Riley points out that the people who create 20 percent of a team’s effectiveness may feel that they are deserving of 80 percent of the credit and rewards. The weaker links on a team or in an organization are often the ones who clamor for more credit.” ― Nick Saban

239. “Everybody hits me up for eating Little Debbies, but no one passes that cookie jar without taking one.”

240. “I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?” – Abraham Lincoln

241. “The major by-product of creating a mission statement and vision for you or your organization is that it creates a culture of expectations. If you have clearly defined who you are and where you want to go, then there is no longer any need for debate about it—everyone knows what to expect.”

242. “It’s a game that 365 days a year everybody has got to live with the results.”

243. “Do the right thing… Do the right thing when no one else is around. Do the right thing when temptation tells you otherwise. Do the right thing all the time.”

244. “Recognize certain traits that seem to be in every champion: passion, commitment, confidence, pride in performance, high standards of excellence, relentlessness, perseverance, and the ability to perform in adverse circumstances.”

245. “In the NFL you get one first-round draft pick if you're lucky. You couldn't really outwork anybody else. In college I could recruit ten players with first-round talent every year.”

246. “We have three kinds of guys on our team. We have guys that get it; they play good; they understand how to play winning football. We have some guys that are trying to get it, and they are working hard every day? We are supporting them, and we want the guys that have it to support them. Then we have some guys that don't get it and don't know that they don't get it. We are trying to replace them. We only have a couple left.”

247. “If you get word that a co-worker is saying things about you behind your back, confront him or her on it. If an evaluation of your work is false and biased, challenge it. Doing nothing will only worsen the damage. Understand that you can’t control everything, so pick your spots and stand up for what you know and believe is right. Communicate when there is a miscommunication.” ― Nick Saban

248. “Our goal is to work against things we have not seen that we will see in the near future.” ~ Nick Saban

249. “It is important to remember that we all experience both success and failure. No one person is a success and another a failure.”

250. “The more one emphasizes winning, the less he or she is able to concentrate on what actually causes success.”

251. “We have to go back to work and get better. We’ll be better because of this.”

252. “We’re still in the information-gathering stage. People like to ask strategic questions about what we’re going to do.”

253. “It's not human nature to be great. It's human nature to survive, to be average and do what you have to do to get by. That is normal. When you have something good happen, it's the special people that can stay focused and keep paying attention to detail, working to get better and not being satisfied with what they have accomplished.”

254. “Being focused does not mean having tunnel vision… Tunnel vision is like looking at the world through a straw… Focus is an ability to zero in on what’s important and being able to avoid distractions to complete the task.”

255. “Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you

256. “Talent is putting skills into productive use.”

257. “If you know you will not be perfect, then those mistakes can roll off your shoulders as you move on to the next play. But if perfection is your ideal, those mistakes will cripple you with frustration. So be realistic, understand that you and others will make mistakes, and use those as building blocks for the future.” ― Nick Saban

258. “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach.” ~ Nick Saban

259. “You can’t put a limit on how much you can improve and how much you can do.”

260. “We’re not going to talk about what we’re going to accomplish. We’re going to talk about how we’re going to do it.”

261. “It was our resiliency that allowed us to overcome our own errors and mistakes.”

262. “Your character is the accumulation of your thoughts, habits, and priorities on a day-to-day basis.” ~ Nick Saban

263. “To be a great player, you have to affect the entire unit.”

264. “It’s easy to keep everyone content and working hard when things are going well—but it’s when things go bad that a team’s character is revealed… A team that falls apart was never truly a team—there was never trust.”

265. “Education does not promise success, but makes it easier.”

266. “There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you’ll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment.”

267. “Be all you can be in whatever you choose to do. The sky’s the limit, so go for it. And do not create any self-imposed limitations.”

268. “I don’t care what you did yesterday. If you’re happy with that, you have bigger problems.”

269. “We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody’s got to buy into that standard or you really can’t have any team chemistry. Mediocre people don’t like high-achievers and high-achievers don’t like mediocre people.” ~ Nick Saban

270. “Everything you do, you do to the team.”

271. “There is no ‘I’ in team but there is an ‘I’ in win.”

272. “It’s sometimes difficult for employees to respect individual differences in their coworkers. Often I remind our various staff groups that we treat everyone fairly and honestly—but we don’t treat them all the same.”

273. “It’s not human nature to be great. It’s human nature to survive, to be average and do what you have to do to get by. That is normal. When you have something good happen, it’s the special people that can stay focused and keep paying attention to detail, working to get better and not being satisfied with what they have accomplished.”

274. “The roster that we have today may change tomorrow. It is what it is for right now.” ~ Nick Saban

275. “When you invest your time, you make a goal and a decision of something that you want to accomplish. Whether it makes good grades in school, be a good athlete, be a good person, go down and do some community service and help somebody who’s in need, whatever it is you choose to do, you’re investing your time in that.” ― Nick Saban

276. “The only thing that really matters is how you play in the games.”

277. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs

278. “Lesson 3. Get out of yourself and into the team.” ― Nick Saban

279. “If you don’t get result-oriented with the kids, you can focus on the things in the process that are important to them being successful.”

280. “Sometimes what is best for the individual is not what is best for the team.”

281. “If we just didn't do that kind of stuff, we wouldn't have to worry about it.”

282. “Becoming a champion is not an easy process...It is done by focusing on what it takes to get there and not on getting there.”

283. “Leadership is not a position or a title, it is action and example.” – Cesar Chavez

284. “Anyone who doesn’t win their conference has no business playing in the national championship game.” ~ Nick Saban

285. “People who are role models for the principles and values of the organization, who buy-in and understand the vision of what the organization is trying to accomplish, and have the personality to inspire other people to the vision. You know, that’s what team chemistry and leadership is all about.” ~ Nick Saban

286. “Make his ass quit.”

287. “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” – Ken Blanchard

288. “Focus on the process of what it takes to be successful.” ~ Nick Saban

289. “Be on time because it shows you care.”

290. “I’ve always been able to stay focused on trying to recruit good players and trying to develop those players.”

291. “I don’t throw it as much, as I get older,” Saban said. “That’s really what’s hard on those straw hats, when you sort of sling them when somebody doesn’t do what they are supposed to do.”

292. “Do not allow mistakes to go uncorrected.”

293. “One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you’re around guns unless you’re going hunting, and you don’t want to mess around with women that you don’t know because a lot of times, bad things happen.”

294. “Paranoia over being cheated out of one’s rightful share. Along with feeling that they are not appreciated, these individuals are routinely concerned about who gets credit and who gets blamed. No credit given to them is ever enough, and too much offered to a teammate is flat-out wrong. They are concerned not with the team’s success, but with whether they are going to get credit for any success.”

295. “One thing about championship teams is that they’re resilient. No matter what is thrown at them, no matter how deep the hole, they find a way to bounce back and overcome adversity.” ― Nick Saban

296. “There are three things we can’t have: We can’t have complacency. We can’t have selfishness and we can’t lose our accountability.”

297. “The good is enough additude is not what we're looking for, we have got to use every oppurtunity to improve indivisually so we can improve collectively”

298. “You can’t get from A to Z by passing up B.”

299. “If you know you will not be perfect, then those mistakes can roll off your shoulders as you move on to the next play. But if perfection is your ideal, those mistakes will cripple you with frustration. So be realistic, understand that you and others will make mistakes, and use those as building blocks for the future.”

300. “Dominant teams rarely are outplayed or outclassed, but they sometimes beat themselves. Just because you are dominant does not mean you are infallible. Remember that dominance does not mean perfection; a lack of focus for even a short period of time can cost you. Do not relax when you are far ahead or dominating your marketplace. That is the time to push even harder.”

301. “Great leaders are not always popular.” ― Nick Saban

302. “We made some mistakes that obviously cost us the game, but I’m proud of the way they competed. They played their hearts out. They certainly deserved a better fate than they got today.

303. “Live by the creed that a strong work ethic, playing by the rules, and doing things the right way will bring about opportunities for success and, ultimately, happiness.”

304. “You can’t win together if you don’t work together.” ~ Nick Saban

305. “There’s two parts of leadership. You’ve got to be a good leader, you’ve got to be somebody that people want to emulate and care about the other people. But the other guys that you have, have to accept their leadership. They have to respond to it. That’s the chemistry that you never know how that is going to happen.”

306. “You can't win together if you don't work together.”

307. “We have a lot of respect for the way that team played today. They certainly deserved to win the game, but our guys fought hard. They never quit. They never gave up.

308. “Every time you think of winning the national championship—stop. Instead, think of what you have to do to dominate your opponent for 60 minutes.”

309. “A good process produces good results.”

310. “Honesty and integrity is an important part of our character, my character.” ― Nick Saban

311. “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach.”

312. “Be all you can be in whatever you choose to do. The sky is the limit, so go for it. And do not create any self-imposed limitations.” ~ Nick Saban

313. “Discipline is not punishment. Discipline is changing someone’s behavior.” ~ Nick Saban

314. “Psychologist Dr. Terry Orlick has been studying excellence in sports, business, and life for decades. He is world renowned for his motivational and mental approach to peak performance. Orlick has determined that there are seven components of excellence: commitment, focus, confidence/trust/belief, positive imagination, mental readiness, controlling distractions, and constant learning.”

315. “We had more skill than you can imagine, at almost every position. But guys didn’t want to put in the effort or to play with toughness and togetherness, and the incredible skills never developed into talent.” ― Nick Saban

316. “When you play against good people, that’s when you focus your concentration. Your sense of urgency to be disciplined in your execution all become more critical. Sometimes you get away with doing things not quite right against lesser competition, but when you play against real good people that’s when it shows up.”

317. “I think everybody should take the attitude that we’re working to be a champion, that we want to be a champion in everything that we do. Every choice, every decision, everything that we do every day, we want to be a champion.” ~ Nick Saban

318. Follow us on: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Instagram

319. “I don’t control what people put on dot-com or anything else. So I’m just telling you there’s no significance, in my opinion, about this, about me, about any interest that I have in anything other than being the coach here.” ~ Nick Saban

320. “Baseball manager Casey Stengel once quipped, “The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided.”

321. “Some of the great leaders in history were not adored, but respected. My advice to leaders – stop trying to please everyone and do what you believe is best.”

322. “By definition, a leader is “a person who rules or guides or inspires others.” But that’s not entirely true. A person “who rules” may or may not be a leader, even if he or she is the ruler or manager. You see, just because you’re in command of a company, a team, or an army battalion, that does not qualify you as a leader. Perhaps you attained that position by experience or success, or maybe you simply outlasted everyone else. Regardless, how you lead defines you as a leader.”

323. “We have three kinds of guys on our team. We have guys that get it; they play good; they understand how to play winning football. We have some guys that are trying to get it, and they are working hard every day? We are supporting them, and we want the guys that have it to support them. Then we have some guys that don’t get it and don’t know that they don’t get it. We are trying to replace them. We only have a couple left.” ~ Nick Saban

324. “I don’t think I’m complicated at all. I’m not political, and I’m not trying to be diplomatic. I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings, and I don’t say bad things about people. There is no agenda. There’s no trying to fool somebody.” ~ Nick Saban

325. “If you get word that a co-worker is saying things about you behind your back, confront him or her about it. If an evaluation of your work is false and biased, challenge it. Doing nothing will only worsen the damage.”

326. “The ‘good is enough’ attitude is not what we’re looking for, we have got to use every opportunity to improve individually so we can improve collectively.”

327. “It’s not human nature to be great. It’s human nature to survive, to be average and do what you have to do to get by. That is normal. When you have something good happen, it’s the special people that can stay focused and keep paying attention to detail, working to get better and not being satisfied with what they have accomplished.” ~ Nick Saban

328. “I think everybody should take the attitude that we’re working to be a champion, that we want to be a champion in everything that we do. Every choice, every decision, everything that we do everyday, we want to be a champion.”

329. “I want everybody here to know, this is not the end. This is the beginning.”

330. “Soccer is a continuous game, rugby is a continuous game, but for the physical elements that are involved in playing a football game and the number of plays that you play, I don’t know that it was ever intended to be a continuous game.” ~ Nick Saban

331. That’s what people know us as.”

332. “College football is the only game in the country, of any kind, that the college game is longer than the pro game.” ~ Nick Saban

333. “The thing that concerns me the most is when I hear that people are making a lot of money a lot of ways except for the athletes, whether it’s on the bowl games, the TV contracts, the conferences, the schools, the coaches, however, you want to say it.” ~ Nick Saban

334. “Lesson 12. With your A-game, you can beat anybody; anything less, and they can beat you.” ― Nick Saban

335. “Times of adversity are when we need leaders the most… It’s easy to lead in good times, but the difficult times present an opportunity to display true leadership.”

336. “I don’t throw it as much, as I get older. That’s really what’s hard on those straw hats when you sort of sling them when somebody doesn’t do what they are supposed to do.”

337. “What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow is a mystery. What we do today makes a difference – the precious present moment.”

338. “The number one thing on any team that will keep your players from being selfish is respect for the other players.” ~ Nick Saban

339. “Teaching is the ability to inspire learning.”

340. “Lesson 7. Having skill is not having talent.” ― Nick Saban

341. “The process is really what you have to do day in and day out to be successful, we try to define the standard that we want everybody to sort of work toward, adhere to, and do it on a consistent basis. And the things that I talked about before, being responsible for your own self-determination, having a positive attitude, having great work ethic, having discipline to be able to execute on a consistent basis, whatever it is you’re trying to do, those are the things that we try to focus on, and we don’t try to focus as much on the outcomes as we do on being all that you can be.” ~ Nick Saban

342. “We live in a results-oriented world, but those who can handle the hard work that it takes to be successful will always be more prepared to take advantage of opportunities.”

343. “Talent is putting skills into productive use.” ― Nick Saban

344. “I’m very happy at Alabama. Miss Terry’s very happy at Alabama. This is where we choose to end our career someday.”

345. “We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody’s got to buy into that standard or you really can’t have any team chemistry.”

346. “The difference nowadays is that when I go on vacation I work some of the time rather than all of the time.”

347. “Baseball manager Casey Stengel once quipped, “The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided.” ― Nick Saban

348. “Do what you do and be who you are.”

349. “The #1 thing needed to win is mindset.”

350. “I don’t like to lose. I don’t expect to lose.”

351. “Sometimes, when there is a dominant leader, the rest of the team backs down from individual responsibility and depends on that one person for direction.”

352. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela

353. “We have three kinds of guys on our team. We have guys that get it; they play good; they understand how to play winning football. We have some guys that are trying to get it, and they are working hard every day? We are supporting them, and we want the guys that have it to support them. Then we have some guys that don’t get it and don’t know that they don’t get it. We are trying to replace them. We only have a couple left.”

354. “You can’t get from A to Z by passing up B.” ~ Nick Saban

355. “I think everybody makes mistakes. People do things that they regret.”

356. “Get out of yourself and into the team.”

357. “Try to avoid specific parameters and benchmarks; instead, focus on the larger process of where you want to go.”

358. “The difference nowadays is that when I go on vacation I work some of the time rather than all of the time.” ~ Nick Saban

359. “Don’t ever miss the opportunity to say, ‘Good job.’”

360. “We have got to use every opportunity to improve individually so we can improve collectively.”

361. “We all have anxiety about things. We all have little insecurities, but eventually, you have to face your fears if you want to be successful, and everybody has some fear of failure.” – Nick Saban

362. “I think everybody should take the attitude that we're working to be a champion, that we want to be a champion in everything that we do. Every choice, every decision, everything that we do every day, we want to be a champion.”

363. “I remember how scared to death I was as a little kid of Santa Claus.”

364. “The more one emphasizes winning, the less he or she is able to concentrate on what actually causes success.

365. “I think I’ve always been kind of geared up to always sort of look at what’s in front of you, not necessarily look what’s behind you, and I think that the next game is always the most important, the next season is always the most important, the next team, the next group of players, and there’s always a great challenge in that. I think that we sometimes use the analogy of every season is like climbing a mountain, and obviously when you get in a situation like we’re in now, both teams, it gets a little more treacherous at the top in terms of the consequences of mistakes and things that can happen.”

366. “Becoming a champion is not an easy process. It is done by focusing on what it takes to get there and not on getting there.”

367. “You all just think that, whatever happens we just shit another player, everything’s going to be perfect. All of our fans think that, you all think that, that’s what you write about, that’s the message that you send out there.”

368. “Communicate when there is a miscommunication.”

369. “There is no continuum for success. Focus on the process, not the results.”

370. “I just want everybody to know I’m not conservative. I want to throw the ball all the time.”

371. “Understand that you can’t control everything, so pick your spots and stand up for what you know and believe is right.”

372. “The number one thing on any team that will keep your players from being selfish is respect for the other players.”

373. “When you have the ability to affect other people and be somebody that somebody wants to emulate, care enough to help somebody else for their benefit, that’s what makes you a good teammate, and that’s what everybody’s looking for.”

374. “If you get word that a co-worker is saying things about you behind your back, confront him or her on it. If an evaluation of your work is false and biased, challenge it. Doing nothing will only worsen the damage. Understand that you can’t control everything, so pick your spots and stand up for what you know and believe is right. Communicate when there is a miscommunication.”

375. “I’ve always been able to stay focused on trying to recruit good players and trying to develop those players.” ~ Nick Saban

376. “Worry about the things that you can control in your life, both professionally and personally. Don’t worry too much about whether or not people like you, and don’t get anxious about an impending situation. You can’t control these things. Spend your time working on what you can control—your actions, words, and emotions. There’s an old saying that points out that you can’t do much about how hard the wind is blowing, but you can adjust your sails.”

377. “One thing about championship teams is that they’re resilient. No matter what is thrown at them, no matter how deep the hole, they find a way to bounce back and overcome adversity.”

378. “In the NFL you get one first-round draft pick if you’re lucky. You couldn’t really outwork anybody else. In college, I could recruit 10 players with first-round talent every year.”

379. “You persevere when you can look adversity in the eye and see it as a challenge.”

380. “When you invest your time, you make a goal and a decision of something that you want to accomplish. Whether it's make good grades in school, be a good athlete, be a good person, go down and do some community service and help somebody who's in need, whatever it is you choose to do, you're investing your time in that.”

381. “It’s not about the will to win, it’s about preparation to win.”

382. “Lesson 8. You must trust, not just believe.” ― Nick Saban

383. “We have to compete within ourselves relative to the determination it takes to be successful.”

384. “Paranoia over being cheated out of one’s rightful share. Along with feeling that they are not appreciated, these individuals are routinely concerned about who gets credit and who gets blame. No credit given to them is ever enough, and too much offered to a teammate is flat-out wrong. They are concerned not with the team’s success, but with whether they are going to get credit for any success.” ― Nick Saban

385. “Champions are rare. Everybody has some chance, some opportunity to change and improve, but not everybody takes advantage. Be somebody who does.”

386. “Chronic feelings of underappreciation. The players who suffer from the “disease of me” syndrome constantly feel that they are overlooked in praise. We all want to be patted on the back, but some individuals demand constant attention and sulk when they believe, rightly or wrongly, that their skills and efforts are being underappreciated. It leads to jealousy and bad chemistry.” ― Nick Saban

387. “I think I’m pretty misunderstood, because I’m not just about football.”

388. “Live by the creed that a strong work ethic, playing by the rules, and doing things the right way will bring about opportunities for success and, ultimately, happiness.” – Nick Saban

389. “Some of the great leaders in history were not adored, but respected. My advice to leaders—stop trying to please everyone and do what you believe is best.”

390. “I’m tired of hearing all this talk from people who don’t understand the process of hard work-like little kids in the back seat asking ‘Are we there yet?’ Get where you’re going 1 mile-marker at a time.”

391. “Discipline is not punishment. Discipline is changing someone’s behavior.”

392. “Education does not promise success but makes it easier.”

393. “Champions are rare. Everybody has some chance, some opportunity to change and improve, but not everybody takes advantage. Be somebody who does.” ― Nick Saban

394. “Unfortunately, we live in a world when the selfish seem to outnumber the unselfish.”

395. “Lesson 1. There is no “I” in team but there is an “I” in win.” ― Nick Saban

396. “A good process produces good results.” ~ Nick Saban

397. “Your message should be constant. Talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol from an early age and don’t stop. Encourage your employees every day—not simply after successes, but through the tough times as well.”

398. “I’ve never considered joining Twitter, nor do I know why anybody would.” ~ Nick Saban

399. “When you have a system, you kind of get in a routine of what’s important. And then you spend a lot more time on thinking of things that would make it better.” ― Nick Saban

400. “The Disease of Me Dominance Lesson 1. There is no i in team but there is an i in win. Lesson 2. Everything you do, you do to the team. Lesson 3. Get out of yourself and into the team. Lesson 4. Don’t forget the fundamentals. Lesson 5. You can have no flickering lights. Lesson 6. Do not allow mistakes to go uncorrected. Lesson 7. Having skill is not having talent. Lesson 8. You must trust, not just believe. Lesson 9. Sometimes what is best for the individual is not what is best for the team. Lesson 10. Teams must take ownership for themselves and their personalities. Lesson 11. Teams that play together often end up lucky. Lesson 12. With your A game, you can beat anybody; anything less and they can beat you.”

401. “What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow is a mystery. What we do today makes a difference – the precious present moment.” ~ Nick Saban

402. “People who are role models for the principles and values of the organization, who buy in and understand the vision of what the organization is trying to accomplish, and have the personality to inspire other people to the vision. You know, that’s what team chemistry and leadership is all about.”

403. “The major by-product of creating a mission statement and vision for you or your organization is that it creates a culture of expectations. If you have clearly defined who you are and where you want to go, then there is no longer any need for debate about it…everyone knows what to expect.”