Few individuals would dare to engage in trash talk with Alabama’s esteemed head coach, Nick Saban. However, it appears that his 91-year-old mother, Mary, is among the select few who can.
Nick Saban’s coaching legacy in college football is unparalleled, with an impressive record boasting seven national championships, 10 SEC titles, and 281 career victories. Yet, none of these accolades held any sway when it came to Mary Saban’s willingness to engage in some lighthearted ribbing with her legendary son.
Brett McMurphy of The Action Network recently shared an entertaining anecdote about how Mary once brought an Alabama practice to a halt just to indulge in some good-natured trash talk with her son, the Crimson Tide’s coach.
McMurphy recounted the story of a moment during a spring practice in 2013 when an Alabama staff member received a call from Saban’s then 81-year-old mother. When the staff member asked if he could take a message for the coach, Mary Saban reportedly replied, “Absolutely not. Put my son on the phone — right now!”
According to McMurphy, the staffer then approached Saban and delivered the message: “Coach, your mom is on the phone. She said she has to talk to you right now.”
Concerned that his mother might be facing a medical issue, Nick Saban took the call on the practice field, marking the first time in his career that he had done so.
However, what he heard was far from a medical emergency; it was something much funnier.
Mary Saban jovially informed her son, “Brother,” a common term of address in West Virginia, where they hail from, “I just wanted to let you know I just made a hole-in-one, and you’ve never made one.”
Nick Saban humorously recounted the tale to McMurphy and acknowledged that his competitive spirit may well have been inherited from his spirited mother. Fortunately for him, he has since achieved his own hole-in-one, putting an end to his mother’s playful bragging rights.
Nevertheless, one can’t help but imagine that the Saban household still sees its fair share of good-natured banter and trash talk.
