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Nick Saban just added another trophy to his already packed display case. The legendary coach won the Sports Emmy Award for “Outstanding Personality/Emerging On-Air Talent” on Tuesday for his work on ESPN’s “College Gameday.”
Saban beat out some serious competition for the honor. The category featured former NFL stars Jason Kelce, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Richard Sherman — plus ex-Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright. It’s not unlike his coaching days at Alabama, where he regularly outmaneuvered top-tier opponents.
The seven-time national champion joined the “Gameday” crew at the beginning of the 2024 season after stepping away from coaching. He’s brought both tactical analysis and — to the delight of many fans — an unexpected sense of humor to the broadcast team.
The #SportsEmmys Award for Outstanding Personality/Emerging On-Air Talent goes to Nick Saban (@espn). pic.twitter.com/a33tbQSpdT
— The Emmys (@TheEmmys) May 21, 2025
Saban’s transition to TV hasn’t changed his fundamental approach. Before his first season at the desk, he told CBS Sports that he wanted to bring a coach’s perspective to his analysis.
“I still view this from a coach’s perspective,” Saban explained. “I just happen to not have a team… I want to ask coaches questions so that they can actually talk about the things they want to talk about. I’m not trying to put anybody on the defensive. I’m trying to help them express what they’d like to express.”
He’s attacking broadcasting with the same intensity he brought to the sidelines.
The Emmy win adds another impressive line to Saban’s already legendary resume that includes 292 career wins and seven national championships. He’s now just six Emmy awards away from matching his collection of national title rings — though something tells us he’s not done collecting hardware yet.
