South Carolina football: Gamecocks overall record against Nick Saban

Nick Saban has had success against South Carolina football.

It was announced on Monday morning that Nick Saban, head coach at the University of Alabama, has received a three-year extension to his current contract. The extension ensures that one of the greatest college coaches of all-time will remain in Tuscaloosa through at least February of 2029, and that the 69-year-old has no intentions of retiring any time soon.

In 14 seasons leading the Crimson Tide, Saban has posted an overall record of 170-23. His teams have posted double-digit wins in 13 straight campaigns, winning six national championships, appearing in 19 postseason contests, and landing in five of the six College Football Playoff fields. He’s coached a total of 106 NFL draftees at Alabama, including 67 first-team All-Americans, 39 first-round picks, and three Heisman Trophy winners.

Prior to his run with the Crimson Tide, Saban helped the LSU Tigers bring home a national title, too.

While his Saban’s success has been unmatched in the BCS/CFP era, he has struggled with a few opponents. Auburn has taken down the head coach eight times, posting a 5-9 record against Saban while at Bama, and a 3-2 record while he was with LSU. Clemson has beaten the Tide in two of their five matchups with Saban roaming the sidelines.

How has South Carolina football fared against the coaching legend?

The Gamecocks faced off against Saban twice while he was in Baton Rouge, losing both to LSU squads ranked in the top 15. One of those teams, the ’03 Tigers, would go on to win the BCS Title and boast the nation’s top defense.

More recently, South Carolina has faced Saban-led teams three times since his taking over at Alabama. All three meetings have seen the Crimson Tide enter the matchup ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the country. The two programs had a couple of battles between Saban and Steve Spurrier in ’09 and ’10. South Carolina dropped the first meeting, but all Gamecock fans remember Stephen Garcia leading a near-perfect day on offense to end an 18-game Crimson Tide winning streak, and earn the program’s first win over a top-ranked opponent.

South Carolina dropped the most recent meeting in 2019, losing to Tua Tagovailoa and Najee Harris 47-23.

Overall, the Gamecocks are just 1-4 all-time against Saban’s squads, but they’ll have a chance to get revenge in 2024. That, for now, is the only scheduled matchup between the two schools through the 2028 season, though there’s always the possibility of a meeting in the SEC title game.