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Joe Girardi: What Nick Saban Does Is ‘Incredible’
New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi discussed his admiration for Alabama's Nick Saban, saying what Saban does is "incredible."
April 5, 2016New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi discussed his admiration for Alabama’s Nick Saban.
What Alabama head coach Nick Saban has accomplished in his career is nothing short of incredible. He’s won five national titles – one at LSU and four with Alabama – and trails only Paul “Bear” Bryant for the most ever.
Girardi knows the type of work that must be put in to win a championship; he led New York to a World Series title in 2009. To do it over and over again, like Saban has, as if he’s been on cruise control, takes a special mind.
Girardi sat down for an interview with the “30 with Murti” podcast, where he discussed his admiration for Saban.
“Nick Saban always talks about the process,” Girardi told Sweeny Murti. “He doesn’t talk about the results. It’s the process, winning every play and being better than the guy across from you every play. Baseball, in a sense, is a lot like that. If you’re a pitcher, you have to win each play, and a play as a pitcher is an at-bat. Vice versa if you’re the hitter.”
Saban’s ability to manage all aspects of being a college football coach has captivated Girardi.
“I love to watch how he goes about his business, his passion for the sport. I’ve been to a couple of games down there (Tuscalooa). I took my son to see them (Alabama) play LSU. The amount of work he puts in in one day is incredible. He has to deal with recruits and not only the game plan, but the shows he has to do. I was just watching how his time schedule was so organized and how he went about his business.”
In addition to his job as head football coach, Saban also has a responsibility to help develop the minds of the young men on his roster, something that touches close to home with Girardi.
“He’s a guy who really cares about his players, and you can tell because of all the players that come back. You think about the national championship game and how many of those players came back. He cares about them as people, and he tries to make them better men. Coach (Tom) Coughlin talked about that. We have a responsibility to them (players) as people, too, not just as players, and I take that responsibility very serious.”
It’s not very often that you hear professional coaches modeling themselves after their college colleagues – especially across different sports – but that’s the type of effect Saban has had during his career.
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