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Go Green! Nick Saban says his kids are still ‘lifelong Michigan State fans’

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Alabama might come first in the home of Saban and his family but it doesn’t sound like Michigan State is too far behind. Nick Saban says his children — Nicholas and Kristen — still cheer on the Spartans when the Crimson Tide aren’t rolling.

Joining Inside the Locker Room with Jason Strayhorn and Brian Mosallam, Saban was asked about his family as things slow down (ever so slightly) during the offseason. That’s when the former MSU head coach revealed that there’s still some love for the team in East Lansing among his family.

“Everybody is great. We have two grandchildren now, they’re doing great. Our kids our doing fine. We’re excited about having a great family. It’s been good for us,” Saban said. “They’re all still Michigan State fans. They watch every single game. Every Michigan State basketball game. They love Coach (Tom) Izzo.

“That was kinda the heart and soul when they grew up, when they were just the right age when we were there to really become lifelong fans.”

Saban had two stops at Michigan State, serving as the defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator from 1983-87. A decade later, he was the head coach of the Spartans from 1995-99.

In his five seasons in East Lansing, Saban’s teams racked up a 34-24-1 record, which included a 9-2 campaign in 1999. The Spartans punched a ticket to bowl games four times in those five years.

Following the successful 1999 campaign, Saban took the head coaching job at LSU, departing from East Lansing. He took the job at Alabama in 2007.

So, while Alabama is the top priority for the Saban family, there’s still a big piece of Michigan State in their hearts.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB