The GOAT debates come up more often nowadays whether it’s about players or coaches. John Wooden is considered the greatest in college basketball, and the greatest overall in college sports by many. When you hear the name Nick Saban, you tend to think of the greatest college football coach ever. Wooden led UCLA to 10 national championships and Saban led his teams to 7 titles. Who is the better all-time coach? There are many stats to cover, but we’ll start with championships.
Championships Between John Wooden and Nick Saban
Most programs can’t even compare to the UCLA dynasty of 1964-1975. The school reached its first Final Four under Wooden in 1962. The Bruins won the National Championship 10 times in 12 years, including 7 in a row. The famous “March Madness” tournament didn’t have as many teams back then, but that doesn’t take away from this unbelievable accomplishment.
From January 30, 1971, to January 19, 1974, UCLA won a remarkable 88 consecutive games, with 72 wins by double digits. There have been other teams who have dominated in recent years such as the UConn and South Carolina women’s college basketball teams. However, no one has reached the same level as Wooden’s UCLA teams.
Nick Saban won 7 national championships as a head football coach. He led the LSU Tigers to a national title in 2003 before leaving for the NFL two years later. He returned to college football in 2007 to coach the Alabama Crimson Tide. Saban won his first national title with Alabama (his 2nd overall) in 2009. His dominance lasted for about the same amount of time as Wooden’s and he ended up with 11 total SEC Championships.
Their teams were almost always in the biggest games and moments. UCLA only missed the Final Four twice (1963, 1966) between 1962 and 1975. Alabama missed the College Football Playoff or BCS National Championship 3 times from 2009 to 2021 (2010, 2013, and 2019.)
Tough Starts
Winning is not easy and does not happen right away. Saban was at Michigan State in the late 90s. Although he turned the program around, the Spartans never won a conference title or played in a big bowl game. It took eight years for him to earn a 10-win season. Wooden’s teams missed the NCAA Tournament for most of the 50s. UCLA made the tournament twice between 1953 and 1961.
Interesting Fact
Both of these great coaches coached for the final time in California. Saban’s last game was the 2024 Rose Bowl College Football Playoff in Pasadena, which was a loss to eventual national champion Michigan. Wooden’s last game took place in San Diego, for the national championship against Kentucky when he won his 10th title in 1975.
Changing the Game
The incredible runs of Wooden and Saban occurred during big changes in their sports. Both careers ended as postseason expansion was happening. Saban’s last season was the final one before the College Football Playoff expanded from 4 teams to 12.
The 4-team playoff started in 2014 and put an end to the BCS. Wooden’s last year included the expansion of the NCAA Tournament from 25 schools to 32. In 1973, the men’s basketball Final Four games were played on Saturday night and the national championship on Monday for the first time. It has remained the same since. The John R. Wooden Award is presented to the most outstanding men’s and women’s college basketball players each season.
The Decision
John Wooden was the better all-time coach. He retired at age 64 with 10 national championships and Nick Saban retired with 7 at 72. Also, Wooden never lost a national championship game, going 10-0. Saban’s teams fell short 3 times. That is ultimately the deciding factor.
