Prepare for the glitz and glam; the 2024 ESPY Awards are here! And guess what? Among the star-studded audience, coaching maestro Nick Saban’s daughter, Kristen was seen mingling with NFL quarterback legend Drew Brees. Isn’t that odd? Earlier, Coach Saban held Brees responsible for his quitting the Miami Dolphins. However, Kristen barely bats an eye.

Instead, she landed at the ESPY Awards for something extraordinary — to cheer for his father’s former team, Alabama Crimson Tide. After all, Coach Saban deserves all the credit for whatever Crimson Tide has achieved today, yet again proving that anything he touches turns to gold!

On July 12, Nick Saban’s daughter posted snippets from her attendance at the 2024 ESPY Awards. Looking stunning in a black off-shoulder gown with golden hints, Kristen posted a picture of the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. But wait! The photo shows someone special. Even though the person looking dapper in a black suit is facing his back to Kristen’s camera, she confirms the handsome hunk’s identity. In the story, Kristen wrote, “Hi, Drew Brees (waving hand emoji).” But did we at all need that confirmation? Of course not! Is Kristen trying to strike up a confirmation with his father’s favorite, Brees? 

Months after leaving Miami Dolphins, Nick let his guard down during an interview at the Texas High School Coaches Association convention. During that conversation, the coach pointed out how the Dolphins failed him as a team by not signing Brees. “So, I decided right then when that happened that we don’t have a quarterback in the NFL, we’re not going to win. I’m getting out of here…Drew Brees plays 15 more years, wins a Super Bowl, goes to nine Pro Bowls. And we didn’t take him in Miami.”

But can we take a moment to thank the universe for how things transpired? Had Brees signed with the Dolphins, Saban might never have become Alabama HC and college football would have been deprived of this legendary chapter called Saban’s Magic in Alabama. Meanwhile, Kristen is here for a “Go, Dad!” cheer.    

A front-row seat for Nick Saban’s first ESPY Award

The Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards did the honors to list the great Nick Saban in one of their nominations for the “Best Play” category. And the ex-Alabama HC’s biggest fan had to grab the front-row seat. Kristen flew to Los Angeles to be part of the special evening. She has followed this ritual since childhood, always cheering for her daddy dear from the stand. While Kristen no longer has the chance to bring out her loudest cheers at the stadium setting now that his father has retired, she took the EPSY Awards to relive her memories. 

All credit goes to the infamous “Grave Digger” moment in Alabama’s game against Auburn last year that landed Saban in the “Best Play” award nominations. On November 25, 2023, Nick’s squad trailed 24-20 in the fourth quarter. But then the tables turned, and Crimson Tide went home with a big 27-24 win.

Now that Nick Saban has caught hold of the award, it’s the first time that the former Alabama HC is taking home an ESPY Award. In this race, he zoomed past the other nominees in the category, which included Lamar Jackson, Anthony Edwards, and Jayda Coleman.