TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 24/22 Alabama men’s basketball team enters this week atop the Southeastern Conference standings and face a tough road test, Wednesday night at Georgia. The two squads will tipoff at 5:30 p.m. CT Wednesday night at Stegeman Coliseum.

Alabama’s Mark Sears was named the SEC Player of the Week, coming off a week where he averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds in Alabama’s two wins over No. 8 Auburn and against LSU. The Crimson Tide’s offense continues to set program records, setting a new mark with six 100-point games this season and averaging 89.7 points per game, which ranks No. 1 in the country.

The Broadcast

Wednesday’s game is set for a 5:30 p.m. CT tipoff and will be aired on the SEC Network with Eric Frede (play-by-play) and Pat Bradley (analyst) on the call.

The radio broadcast can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Chris Stewart (play-by-play) and Bryan Passink (analyst) on the call, while Tom Stipe (engineer) is turning the dials. The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.

Notes You Need To Know

• Alabama is ranked in the AP Top-25 (No. 24) and USA Today Coaches Poll (No. 22) for the first time since Nov. 27
• Alabama has scored 100 points in eight SEC games during the tenure of Nate Oats. The rest of the SEC has 10 100-point games during that span.
• Mark Sears was named SEC Player of the Week for the second time this season and is the second SEC player (Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht) to earn the honor multiple times on the year
• Sears is one of four players in Division I and the only Power 5 player that has 395 points, 75 assists, 75 rebounds and 45 three-pointers this season
• Sears ranks No. 1 in the SEC in scoring (20.0 ppg), No. 5 in field goal percentage (52.0) and No. 7 in assists (3.9 apg) 
• Sears (21.1 ppg) is one of four SEC players (Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, 28.0 ppg, Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV, 24.4 ppg and Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves, 20.3 ppg) that is averaging over 20 points per game during conference play
• The Crimson Tide owns the No. 1-ranked offense, according to KenPom and the No. 1 scoring offense in the country (89.7 ppg)
• The Tide (No. 7) is one of the three SEC teams currently ranked in the top-10 in the NET Rankings
• Alabama has scored 1,793 points this season, the most any UA team has scored in the first 20 games of the season, surpassing last year’s team (1,663 points)
• Alabama is one of three schools (Purdue and Wright State) in the country that has two players on its current roster that has scored at least 1,700 points throughout their career in Sears (1,753 points) and Estrada (1,732 points)

About Georgia

• Georgia is currently 14-6 overall and 4-3 in SEC play – two victories shy of matching the Bulldogs’ overall and SEC win totals from a year ago with 11 regular-season outings remaining
• Georgia is 11-1 in games at Stegeman Coliseum this season. During Georgia’s 10-game winning streak at home this season, which was snapped by Tennessee, UGA matched the seventh-longest home winning-streak ever and their fifth-longest since moving into the Coliseum in 1964.
• Georgia ranks No. 20 nationally in bench points at 31.4 ppg. The Bulldogs’ reserves have won the bench point battle in 18 of 20 games to date and currently sport a scoring margin of +292 (+14.6 ppg).
• Georgia is one of three teams with a higher scoring offense in SEC games over non-conference play. Three Bulldogs have upped their production significantly in league outings – Silas Demary Jr. from 8.5-13.8 ppg (+5.3), Justin Hill from 8.5-10.3 ppg (+1.8) and Jabri Abdur-Rahim from 13.2-14.8 ppg (+1.6).
• After compiling an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.93 in the first eight games, Georgia’s effort has improved considerably to 1.20 in the last 11 outings.
• The Bulldogs are converting 17.8 free throws per game this season, which ranks No. 13 in Division I

For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on X and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.

ATLANTA (January 29, 2024) – For the first time in his five-year career, University of North Alabama senior guard KJ Johnson was tabbed the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced on Monday.

 

In two pivotal wins over defending ASUN champion Kennesaw State and Queens, Johnson scored 51 points for an average of 25.5 points per game. He shot 48.1 percent from the field for 48.1 percent, while going 3-4 behind the arc and a whopping 22-24 from the free throw line. The free throws proved impactful as he iced both wins by a 90-84 final.

 

Another impressive stat, Johnson accomplished all of this scoring over 25.9 minutes per contest, which nearly equates to one point per minute.

 

Johnson won a pair of ASUN Newcomer of the Week awards in 2019-20 while at Lipscomb, but now celebrates his first Player of the Week honor at North Alabama. Johnson was also an all-freshman team selection in 2019-20.

 

The senior from Lewisburg, Tenn. Is the active career leader in ASUN scoring with 1,504 points. This is also tied with College of Charleston’s Marion Busby (1991-95) for 45th in career points in league history.

 

For the season, Johnson averages 14.6 PPG while averaging 17.6 PPG in seven conference play.

 

This marks the second ASUN Player of the Week for UNA this season, as sophomore guard Jacari Lane earned the honors back in December for his performances at Kansas State and against Tennessee Tech.

 

The Lions are back at home on Thursday, Feb. 1 for a quality matchup against Stetson. Opening tip is set for 7:45 p.m. inside CB&S Bank Arena.

 

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

 

Mark Sears Named SEC Player of the Week

The senior from Muscle Shoals, Ala. earns his second SEC Player of the Week honor this season

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – For the second time this season, Alabama men's basketball guard Mark Sears has been named the SEC Player of the Week, the Southeastern Conference announced Monday. The honor comes after Sears averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds in the Crimson Tide’s wins over No. 8 Auburn and LSU. 

Mark Sears Notes

• Recorded his 10^th and 11^th 20-point games of the season
• Mark Sears is one of two SEC players (Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht) that has earned SEC Player of the Week multiple times this season
• Ranks No. 28^th in the country in points per game (20.0 ppg) and tied for first in the SEC
• One of four players in Division I and the only Power 5 player with 395 points, 75 rebounds, 75 assists and 45 three-pointers
• Ranks No. 5 in the SEC in field goal percentage (52.0) and No. 7 in assists (3.9)

For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on X and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.

GAME 19

#8/6 Auburn Tigers (16-2, 5-0 SEC) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (12-6, 4-1 SEC)

Jan. 24, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. (CT)

Coleman Coliseum (13,474) | Tuscaloosa, Ala.

 

Television: ESPN

Play-By-Play: Karl Ravech

Color Analyst: Jay Williams

 

Radio: Auburn Sports Network

Play-By-Play: Andy Burcham

Color Analyst: Randall Dickey

 

» It’s rivalry week as No. 8-ranked Auburn (16-2, 5-0 SEC) travels North to Alabama (12-6, 4-1 SEC) for a much-anticipated Wednesday showdown for state bragging rights in Tuscaloosa.

 

» Auburn has seven Quad 1 games remaining based on the NET rankings of its remaining opponents: at Alabama (No. 9 in NET), at Miss State (No. 40), at Ole Miss (No. 70), Alabama, at Florida (No. 45), Kentucky (No. 18) and at Tennessee (No. 4).

 

» Bruce Pearl is 12-12 against Alabama during his head coaching career including 2-6 on the road in Tuscaloosa, while at Auburn.

 

» Since the 2017-18 season, Auburn and Alabama have combined to win seven SEC regular-season and tournament championships. The Tigers claimed regular-season titles in 2018 and 2022 and a tournament title in 2019, while Alabama claimed regular-season and tournament titles in 2021 and 2023.

 

» The Tigers currently boast the nation’s fourth-longest win streak (11), while Alabama Alabama has won 11-straight SEC home games at Coleman Coliseum.

 

SCOUTING ALABAMA

» Alabama head coach Nate Oats is 5-3 versus the Tigers (all with the Crimson Tide) including last year’s regular-season series sweep.

 

» The Crimson Tide is receiving votes in this week’s AP Poll (No. 29) and Coaches Poll (No. 26).

 

» Alabama currently ranks No. 4 in the country in scoring offense averaging 89.2 points per game. It is also No. 5 nationally averaging 11.3 3-pointers per game and No. 17 with a 38.9 3-point field-goal percentage accuracy.

 

SERIES HISTORY

» Wednesday night’s game is the 167th all-time meeting between Auburn and Alabama with the Crimson Tide holding a 101-65 series lead.

 

» Alabama leads 52-10 in games played in Tuscaloosa including 45-9 at Coleman Coliseum.

 

» Six of the last eight games in the series have been decided by eight points or less.

 

LAST SIX GAMES IN THE SERIES

Jan. 9, 2021              H         L, 90-94

March 2, 2021          A         L, 58-70

Jan. 11, 2022            A         W, 81-77

Feb. 1, 2022              H         W, 100-81

Feb. 11, 2023           H         L, 69-77

March 1, 2023          A         L, 85-90 (OT)

 

BACK IN THE TOP 10

» Auburn climbed five spots to No. 8 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll – the Tigers’ highest ranking since finishing the 2021-22 season No. 8. They are also ranked No. 6 along with Kentucky in this week’s ESPN Coaches Top 25 Poll.

 

» Auburn has now been ranked in the Top 10 in five of the last seven seasons under Coach Pearl.

 

» The Tigers are among the blue bloods of college basketball with the sixth-most Top 10 appearances in that impressive seven-year span behind Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Kentucky (7-of-7). Michigan State boasts the fifth most (6-of-7).

 

Team                          Seasons

Duke                           7

Gonzaga                    7

Kansas                       7

Kentucky                    7

Michigan State          6

Auburn                      5

Baylor                         5

Houston                     5

Michigan                    5

North Carolina          5

Tennessee                5

Villanova                    5

Virginia                       5

 

5-0 SEC START

» Auburn has started SEC play 5-0 with all five victories coming by at least 11 points. It marks the fifth time in program history the Tigers have won their first five SEC games including the second time in the last three seasons after opening league play 10-0 in 2022.

 

» This is also the first time in program history the Tigers have won their first five SEC games by double digits.

 

» The Tigers are currently one of just two power conference teams (Power 5 and BIG EAST) that remains undefeated in conference play. They are the only power conference team that has won all of their conference games by double digits.

 

5-0 STARTS IN SEC PLAY

Year                Start

1959               12-0

2022               10-0

2024               5-0

1999               5-0

 

Power Conference Teams Undefeated in Conference Play

Team                          Conference              Conference Record

Auburn                      SEC                            4-0

Alabama                    SEC                            4-0

North Carolina          ACC                            6-0

Oregon                       Pac-12                       5-0

 

PLAYER TO WATCH: JAYLIN WILLIAMS

» Graduate senior forward Jaylin Williams continues to play some of his basketball of his career. He led Auburn to another 2-0 week with victories on the road at Vanderbilt (W, 80-65) on Jan. 17 and at home against No. 22-ranked Ole Miss (W, 82-59) on Jan. 20. The Tigers are the lone undefeated team atop of the league standings.

 

» Williams had another perfect night from the field (7-for-7), 3-point arc (2-for-2) and free throw line (5-for-5) against the Commodores pouring in a game-high 21 points. It marked his ninth 20-point career outing. He followed that performance up with game-high tying 13 points on 71.4% shooting from the floor versus the Rebels.

 

» Williams has five 20-point games during Auburn’s 11-game winning streak during which he is averaging 15.5 points on 70.0 percent shooting from the floor, 53.6 from 3-point range and 83.3 from the free-throw line. His five 20-point games in his last 11 contests are one more than he had in 114 career games prior to the last 11 games.

 

» In SEC play, Williams is averaging a team-best 15.2 points and 5.4 rebounds and is leading the league shooting 77.1 percent from the floor. He is also shooting 88.2 percent from the free-throw line in conference play.

 

» With 1,108 career points to date he is 88 away from moving into the Top 25 of Auburn’s career scoring list. J-Will is also one game away from moving into the Top 10 for career games played (125).

 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Two of the top Southeastern Conference teams will face off Wednesday night at Coleman Coliseum, as Alabama men’s basketball hosts No. 8/6 Auburn. The Tigers are one of the hottest teams in the country as they are currently riding an 11-game winning streak, the third-longest winning streak in Division I.  

This will be the fifth opponent and second consecutive game that Alabama has faced inside the AP Top-25 this season. Wednesday’s night matchup features of two of three SEC teams that are ranked in the top-10 in the NET Rankings, with Auburn at No. 6 and Alabama slotted at No. 8.

The Broadcast

Wednesday’s game is set for a 6:30 p.m. CT tipoff and will be aired on ESPN with Karl Ravech (play-by-play) and Jay Williams (analyst) on the call.

The radio broadcast can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Chris Stewart (play-by-play) and Bryan Passink (analyst) on the call, while Tom Stipe (engineer) is turning the dials. The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.

Notes You Need To Know

• Head coach Nate Oats is 15-20 against AP Top-25 opponents while at Alabama and 5-9 against Top-10 opponents
• In the last three seasons Alabama (2023, 2021) and Auburn (2022) has claimed all three SEC regular season championships
• Since 2017, the Alabama-Auburn matchup has featured nine first round picks
• In the Alabama-Auburn matchup, no team has won three consecutive matchups since 2015 (Alabama won three)
• Alabama has won 11 straight SEC home games at Coleman Coliseum, the longest winning streak since 2012
• Alabama has scored 1,605 points this season (89.2 ppg), the most any UA team has scored in the first 18 games of the season, surpassing last year’s team (1,512 points)
• Alabama has the No. 2 scoring offense in the SEC while Auburn has the No. 2 scoring defense in the conference (65.3 ppg)
• The Crimson Tide owns the No. 1-ranked offense, according to KenPom
• The Tide (No. 8) is one of the three SEC teams currently ranked in the top-10 in the NET Rankings
• Mark Sears is one of four players in Division I and the only Power 5 player that has 355 points, 40 three-pointers, 65 assists and 65 rebounds this season
• Sears ranks No. 1 in the SEC in scoring (19.8 ppg), No. 4 in field goal percentage (53.3), and No. 11 in assists (3.6 apg)
• Alabama is one of three schools (Purdue and Wright State) in the country that has two players on its current roster that has scored at least 1,700 points throughout their career in Aaron Estrada (1,714 points) and Sears (1,710 points)

About Auburn

• Auburn is the lone remaining undefeated team in the SEC (5-0) and is off to its best start in league play since 1999
• Auburn is 16-2 this season, marking the fourth time in the last seven seasons the Tigers have started 16-2 or better
• During Auburn’s 11-game winning streak, AU has won every game by at least 11 points and boast a +21.8 scoring margin
• Auburn is scoring 37.7 bench points per game, which ranks No. 3 in the country
• The Tigers rank No. 7 in the country in assist/turnover ratio (1.8)
• Aden Holloway ranks No. 11 in the country in assist/turnover ratio (3.7)
• Three of the last four Alabama-Auburn matchups have been decided by single-digits
• In Auburn’s five SEC wins, AU is winning by an average of 19.2 points
• The Tigers’ defense is holding opponents to a 37.8 field goal percentage, which ranks No. 6 in the country

For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on X and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.

HUNTSVILLE CITY FOOTBALL CLUB APPOINTS MATT CAIRNS AS DIRECTOR OF SOCCER OPERATIONS; ANNOUNCES COACHING STAFF ADDITIONS

• Cairns Replaces Liam Doyle following Nashville SC Promotion
• Huntsville City FC Adds Christophe Berra, Zachary Herold and Fabio Hernandez to Coaching Staff

 

Huntsville, Ala. (Jan. 22, 2024) – Huntsville City Football Club announced today the appointment of Matt Cairns as the Club’s new Director of Soccer Operations. Cairns fills the position left by Liam Doyle, who joins parent club Nashville SC as Director of Soccer. Moreover, Huntsville City FC announced the addition of Christophe Berra, Zachary Herold and Fabio Hernandez to the club’s coaching staff.

 

“Matt has a tremendous amount of experience in the professional soccer landscape, both in the U.S. and abroad,” said Mike Jacobs, Nashville SC and Huntsville City FC General Manager. “He is somebody I’ve always admired and wanted to work with, and we are excited to add him to our club.”

 

Cairns joins Huntsville City FC after spending the last five years as the Director of Soccer for Topnotch Management in Minneapolis, Minn., where he represented players across Major League Soccer and the USL Championship. Cairns was born and raised in St. Albans, England before graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2013. After graduating, Cairns worked as a licensed agent and intermediary at Skylet Andrew and MLC Sport before joining Topnotch Management.

 

Additionally, the club announced the appointments of Christophe Berra and Zachary Herold as assistant coaches, and of Fabio Hernandez as goalkeeper coach. 

 

“These are great hires whose experience and character will provide immediate impact for our club both on and off the field,” said Jack Collison, Huntsville City FC Head Coach. “Bringing in coaches of this caliber underscores the commitment made by our group to empower leaders on the pitch who are good soccer minds and great people dedicated to building our program and moving our team forward in a positive direction.” 

 

Berra joins Huntsville from the Scottish Premiership where he was a first-team coach for Livingston FC. Before that, Berra made 560 appearances across Scotland’s and England’s Premier Leagues with childhood club Heart of Midlothian and Wolverhampton Wanderers, respectively. Berra also played with Ipswich Town before returning to Heart of Midlothian and finally finishing his career as a player-coach for Raith Rovers in Scotland. Internationally, Berra was capped 41 times by Scotland, scoring four goals.

 

Herold, a former Generation adidas player from Port St. Lucie, Fla., joins Huntsville from the Atlanta United FC Academy where he coached with Huntsville City FC Head Coach Jack Collison. As a player, Herald was drafted by Toronto FC in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft but was diagnosed with a heart condition that unfortunately forced the end of his playing career. Herald, who represented the United States in the 2009 U-17 FIFA World Cup(TM), immediately launched his coaching career and spent six years working with the New York Red Bulls Academy before moving to Atlanta.

 

Hernandez joins Huntsville from Chattanooga Red Wolves of the USL League One where he served as a goalkeeper coach since 2022.

 

Joining Head Coach Jack Collison and the new hires on the technical staff for the 2024 season will be Analyst Matt Batista, Athletic Trainer Luis Rodas, Performance Coach Josh Stewart, Team Administrator Caylor Feltman, and Equipment Manager Tanner Smoot.

 

The first chance to see Huntsville City FC in 2024 is the inaugural “Huntsville City FC Blastoff Battle Invitational” on Feb. 16 – 18, 2024 at Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium. You can find more information about the tournament and how to get tickets here. 

 

Huntsville City FC 2024 season tickets are now on sale to the public by visiting MLSNextPro.com/HuntsvilleCityFC/Tickets or by calling 256-864-6426, ext. 2.   

 

QUOTE REPOSITORY:

 

Mike Jacobs, General Manager of Nashville SC and Huntsville City FC: “Matt has a tremendous amount of experience in the professional soccer landscape, both in the U.S. and abroad. He is somebody I’ve always admired and wanted to work with, and we are excited to add him to our club.”

 

Matt Cairns, Huntsville City FC Director of Soccer Operations: “I am thrilled to be joining Huntsville City FC and the Nashville SC organization.  Huntsville is an incredibly exciting and thriving soccer market and I can’t wait to build on the club’s inaugural season success.  The state of Alabama is no stranger to sporting success, and I will be working every day to bring them another champion.”

 

Jack Collison, Huntsville City FC Head Coach: “These are great hires whose experience and character will provide immediate impact for our club both on and off the field. Bringing in coaches of this caliber underscores the commitment made by our group to empower leaders on the pitch who are good soccer minds and great people dedicated to building our program and moving our team forward in a positive direction.”

 

Christophe Berra, Huntsville City FC Assistant Coach: “My family and I are excited to be moving over from Scotland to join Huntsville City Football Club. The club has everything in place to be successful on and off the pitch and I can’t wait to get started and the season to kick off.”

 

Zachary Herold, Huntsville City FC Assistant Coach: “I am extremely excited to be joining Huntsville City FC this upcoming season and look forward to building on last year's success.”

 

Fabio Hernandez, Huntsville City FC Goalkeeper Coach: "I am very excited to get the season started with the club. I am looking forward to seeing the Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis packed week in and week out.”

Nick Saban Announces Retirement after 17 Seasons at Alabama

 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama’s Nick Saban, who has won more college football national championships than any coach in the modern era, announced his retirement on Wednesday.

 

“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me,” Saban said. “We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home.”

 

Saban spent 28 years as a college head coach at Toledo (1990), Michigan State (1995-99), LSU (2000-04) and Alabama (2007-23). He won seven national titles in those 28 years, his first at LSU in 2003 before capturing six championships at Alabama (2009, 2011-12, 2015, 2017 and 2020). He also coached the Miami Dolphins for two seasons (2005-06).

 

“Simply put, Nick Saban is one of the greatest coaches of all time, in any sport, and The University of Alabama is fortunate to have had him leading our football program for the past 17 seasons,” said Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne. “Throughout his career as a head coach, his teams have won seven national championships, 11 conference championships and 312 games, and he’s developed an NCAA-record 49 NFL first-round draft picks and, most importantly, hundreds of college graduates. He is the consummate coach, mentor and leader, and his impact is felt far beyond the football field. 

 

“Coach Saban and Ms. Terry have touched countless lives in our community and the state of Alabama with the work they’ve done through the Nick’s Kids Foundation. While his time as our coach may have come to an end, his legacy will live on forever. What an honor it has been for us to have a front-row seat to one of the best to ever do it. A truly remarkable career for Coach Saban.”

 

Saban’s teams won three national championships during the Bowl Championship Series era and three more after the start of the College Football Playoff. In 10 seasons of the CFP, Saban’s Crimson Tide teams qualified eight times.

 

“Words cannot adequately express our appreciation to Coach Saban for his exemplary leadership and service to The University of Alabama over the past 17 years,” said Alabama President Stuart R. Bell. “His commitment to excellence has set the standard for our program, both on the field and in the classroom. We are grateful for the lasting impact he has made on the lives of our student-athletes and the incredible memories his teams have created for our students, alumni, fans and supporters.

 

“Coach Saban and Ms. Terry are tremendous ambassadors for The University of Alabama and our community and we celebrate their many contributions and indelible legacy.”

 

Saban compiled a 297-71-1 (.806) collegiate coaching record, including a 206-29 (.877) mark in Tuscaloosa. His teams won a combined 11 SEC titles, going 11-1 in SEC Championship Games, including nine at Alabama (9-1 record) and two at LSU (2-0 mark). He also won 15 games with the Dolphins in 2005-06. 

 

In Saban’s six national championship seasons at Alabama, his teams went 21-2 against top-10 opponents, and, since 2008, the Crimson Tide was 37-15 overall against top-10 teams. Alabama was also ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll for at least one week for 15 straight years (2008-22), which broke the record of seven established by Miami (1986-92).

 

Saban coached four Heisman Trophy winners, joining Notre Dame’s Frank Leahy for the most in college football history. He is the only coach to ever coach Heisman Trophy winners at three different positions (RB, WR, QB). The Alabama program had just six individual national award winners when Saban arrived on campus, but Crimson Tide players have secured 60 national awards since 2008.

 

His players at Alabama have won 66 All-America honors by 58 different individuals over the past 16 seasons. Eight players have been named two-time All-Americans along with 46 consensus honors and 25 unanimous selections. Will Anderson Jr. became the first two-time unanimous All-American in Alabama history.

 

Saban’s success has also translated to NFL success for his players with a record 49 players chosen in the first round of the draft (44 at Alabama). His Alabama players have been paid over $2 billion over the last 16 NFL seasons.

 

Alabama’s success on the field over the past 17 seasons has coincided with the Tide’s success in the classroom. Since Saban’s arrival in 2007, Alabama football has seen a total of 656 degrees earned, including 103 master’s degrees.

 

The Sabans Nick’s Kids Foundation is a vibrant example of the family’s continuing concern for disadvantaged children. Since Nick and Terry arrived in Tuscaloosa, over $12 million has been distributed to students, teachers and children’s causes at over 150 charities through the Nick’s Kids Foundation. 

 

Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaFTBL on X and Facebook and AlabamaFBL on Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on X and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.