Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s walk down the aisle with his daughter Kristen nine years ago was the event of a lifetime. Even the legendary coach, known for his gruffness, felt sentimental as he danced with his biggest cheerleader one last time before she united with her longtime lover, Adam Setas.

It was a sunny summer day on May 30, 2015, when the newlywed couple Kristen Saban and Adam Setas rolled up to the Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa for the grand event with fireworks all around. As many as 1,000 people were present at the grand wedding when the young couple exchanged their vows. Even Alabama’s mascot, Big Al, was on the guest list!

Kristen Saban and Adam Setas’ love story

Kristen and Adam grew up together in the neighborhood of East Lansing in Michigan. Nick Saban was then the head coach at the Michigan State Spartans. The young couple, who rode to preschool together, promised to stay in touch as Kristen moved to Louisiana along with Papa Saban. Kristen accompanied her father, Nick, from Michigan State to LSU to the Miami Dolphins before the coach settled at Alabama in 2007 until his retirement earlier this year.

Kristen Saban and Adam Setas crossed paths again as they attended Alabama. At Alabama, Kristen worked as a Crimson Tide football program student assistant and an events staffer at Bryant-Denny Stadium. She graduated from Tuscaloosa Academy in 2009, where she was a cheerleader.

While Kristen and Adam spent little time together at Alabama, they met at the 2013 BCS championship game in Miami. The Alabama Crimson Tide blew out Notre Dame for its second straight title, and Adam won his childhood love back. Kristen, then dating someone else, left her boyfriend to be with Adam.

Adam’s proposal to Kristen

It was only the following year, 2014, that Setas proposed to Saban on a bridge with a scenic view of the Nashville skyline, the city where they used to live together. According to the Knot, Adam proposed to Kristen romantically — or at least he tried his best to.

Adam told her he had to “run an errand” before returning to take her to dinner. While he was out, he called Kristen to tell her his jeep had broken down in East Nashville and that he needed her to pick him up by the pedestrian bridge across the river. He said that AAA was coming to tow the car soon. Kristen replied, “Won’t AAA give you a ride back here?” A frustrated Adam explained that he needed her to pick him up soon so they wouldn’t miss their dinner plans. Kristen agreed and made her way to the bridge.

When she arrived, Adam stood on the bridge, flagging her down to come “see something cool” from the top of the bridge. “It’s really neat, you’re going to like it, I promise.”

Kristen, in high heels, trekked up the bridge to meet Adam. She looked out over the bridge, trying to figure out what Adam could show her, besides the amazing view of the skyline of Downtown Nashville. Adam began to laugh and said, “I have to tell you something, but you’re going to be so mad!”

“My jeep is fine…nothing is wrong with it…” Kristen gave him her casual “like, really?” stare … “And AAA is not coming to get my car, but I do need to ask you something…”

At this point, Kristen thought that “this could be what I think it is,” but wasn’t positive. Adam held her hands and said, “Kristen, we’ve known each other since we were so little, and we’ve been together for a while now and we’ve almost kind of been together our whole lives. I love you so much and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He got on his knee, pulling out a box from his suit jacket. “I was wondering, Kristen, will you marry me?” She cried and said, “Yeah!….I mean YES!”

The couple was blessed with their daughter, Amelie Elizabeth Setas, in 2014 and son, James, in 2020.