Nick Saban’s coaching days are over, but he isn’t done earning hardware. During Thursday night’s ESPYs, the former Alabama head coach was named the recipient of the “Icon Award.”

Saban was presented with the honor by former Alabama Heisman Trophy winners Mark Ingram and Bryce Young. He is the Crimson Tide’s first recipient of the award.

“It’s an honor for me to have two of our former Heisman Trophy winners be here to present this award to me, and I’m very thankful for the other former players who played for us who are here tonight," Saban said during his acceptance speech. "We have a good group of guys here, enough that we could actually have practice after this show. We’ve always been blessed with having great individual athletes, but they’ve also been great people, and I think that’s what contributed to our success. And when you talk about iconic players, like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant or Serena Williams, it was all because of what they did. It was their points. It was their wins.

“But when you talk about iconic coaches, it’s all about how did you represent your team? How did your team represent you? You think about John Wooden and the success that he had, for years. Coach Bryant, the success that he had. Dawn Staley, who’s an icon coach in my mind for what she’s been able to accomplish at South Carolina.

“So I can attest to you what it takes to build a team. You have to have great players and appreciate the way they compete. You have to have really good coaches who help develop the players. You have to have really good support personnel who set the table so that the players can compete. You have to have great mentors, which I’ve had great mentors who taught me how I could teach players and how I could inspire learning in players so that they could actually be all that they could be."

Saban, 72, retired in January after 17 seasons as Alabama’s head coach. He posted a 201-29 record with the Crimson Tide, leading the team to six national titles and nine SEC championships. He also won a national title and two SEC championships during his time at LSU. Over his 28 years as a head coach at the college level, Saban posted a 297-71-1 record.

In addition to his success on the field, Saban helped produce 52 first-round picks, including 47 at Alabama. He also produced four Heisman Trophy winners, including Ingram, Young, Derrick Henry and DeVonta Smith.

Saban’s Icon Award marks the fourth time Alabma has taken home an ESPY.

The Tide’s first ESPY came in 2005 when wide receiver Tyrone Protho won for “Best Play” for his catch against Southern Miss. In 2021, Smith was named was named the "Best Male College Athlete.” Young took home the same honor the following year.