Alabama coach Nick Saban isn't too happy that an unauthorized biography on his life has been released, and he let that be known Thursday in his first news conference of fall practice.
The book, "Saban: The Making of a Coach," was written by Monte Burke of Forbes Magazine and hit book stores in Tuscaloosa this week. More than a book about Saban's life as a college and NFL head coach, it delves extensively into his formative years as a youngster, the challenges of playing quarterback on a youth football team for his father and his travels as an assistant coach prior to 1990, when he became a head coach for the first time at Toledo.
"I am opposed to an unauthorized biography for anybody. I think that's some person you don't even know trying to profit by your story, or someone else's story," Saban said. "One of these days when I'm finished coaching at Alabama, I'll write an authorized book, because there's really only one expert on my life. And guess who that is? Me. There won't be any misinformation, there won't be any false statements, there won't be any hearsay, there won't be any expert analysis from somebody else. It'll be the real deal. But I'm not really ready for that to happen."
Saban said he expected to be asked about the book, but when he wasn't, he volunteered a lengthy rant.
Saban said he also isn't so sure it's by coincidence that the release coincided with fall camp and brewing fan excitement for his ninth Alabama team. Burke defended his work on the book Thursday, telling the Alabama Media Group that his goal "was to do something fair and objective and I think that's what emerged."
"It's a little amazing to me that the timing of all this happening right when we're starting camp. I want everybody out there and all of our fans to know, it's not going to be a distraction to us, and it's never going to get discussed again," he said. "But since I'm not finished yet at Alabama, we're not writing any books yet. But when we decide to write an authorized book, it will have the truth the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, if that's OK."
Apparently, there is another chapter or two to be written.
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