Celebration does not suit Nick Saban. Yet he keeps winning championships. With Saban's Alabama team just seconds away from winning his fourth career BCS national title, Crimson Tide center Barrett Jones and a few other players gave him yet another Gatorade bath. The Alabama coach seemed, at worst, resigned to the soak. Take note, this is a marked improvement from his demeanor during at least one previous endgame moment when he seemed downright annoyed rather than euphoric.
"I appreciate not getting hit in the head with the bucket, so that’s an improvement," Saban said after Alabama's 42-14 blowout over Notre Dame in the BCS Title game, via Bryan Fischer of Pac-12 Digital.
Back in 2010 on his way to his second national title but first with the Crimson Tide, his players accidentally hit him with the actual Gatorade jug while dousing him. Saban was not pleased.
The former LSU and current Alabama coach has never looked particularly pleased while getting a Gatorade shower. In the first image below, he looked downright depressed in 2002 after his Tigers won the Sugar Bowl. We know how his second national title bath went. After that experience, he actually tried to dodge the sports drink deluge after his third title. After his player got him, he did handle it nicely with an awkward dance.
After beating Notre Dame on Monday, the serious Saban may have actually given a very brief smile. But it seemed hard to tell.
One of these days, he is going to really start enjoying himself. Until then, here is a look at the the evolution of Saban's relationship to the Gatorade bath.
2002: LSU beats Illinois
2010: Alabama Beats Texas
2012: Alabama Beats LSU
2013: Alabama Beats Notre Dame
