Nick Saban Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

By now, everyone knows that Nick Saban was on vacation in Italy and while the Alabama head coach appears to be having a good time and greeted by Alabama fans, the coach did run into a few opposing fans who gave the coach a good ribbing.

But Saban didn’t seem to mind in fact, he talks about how it’s a good thing for the Alabama brand.

“You know, it’s something to say about the brand that we have. An iconic brand, the Crimson Tide. I got Roll Tide’d in Venice, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast, so that’s everywhere I went,” Saban said with a smile. “I got a few jilts from other SEC fans. They didn’t post that part.”

Who can blame college football fans for disliking Saban and Alabama? With the exception of the last two years, the Crimson Tide has been the team to beat in college football.

In fact, Saban once again was named the top coach in college football with Georgia’s Kirby Smart coming in a close second.

Alabama was a brand name before Saban arrived, but the school has become an even bigger brand since he has become the head coach.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown but Alabama still manages to balance that crown well.

{SI.com}

About Stacey Mickles

Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.