In the wake of a monumental shift in Alabama football, Nick Saban’s daughter Kristen offered a poignant reminder of the family’s true cornerstone on her mother’s birthday. As she celebrates her mother’s birthday on January 15, she shares pictures of beautiful moments with her, filled with warmth and the family’s behind-the-scenes bond.

Terry Saban just turned 74, and her daughter Kristen Saban made sure that this special day didn’t go unnoticed. She posted a carousel of photos with Miss Terry and her son James, accompanied by a beautiful caption that captures the moment perfectly.

“It’s the best day of the year! Happy birthday, TerBear 💖,” Nick Saban’s daughter Kristen Saban said in her Instagram post.

Terry Saban deserves all the love from her family on her special day, as this woman has remained the family’s glue through the years. Both Nick and Terry Saban adopted two kids, Kristen and Nicholas, and raised them, emphasizing family. Despite their constant relocation, Miss Terry made sure her children had a stable environment.

She was born and raised in Fairmont, West Virginia, which is a small town where Nick Saban also grew up. Both of them first met in seventh grade and later became high school sweethearts before marrying each other in 1971.

They have been married for 50 years, and her support for Saban during his high-pressure tenure at Alabama earned the former First Lady of Alabama a simple nickname: “Miss Terry.”

Her presence made a lasting impact on players, too, as they saw Terry Saban as a role model and mentor who genuinely cares about them, as former cornerback Terrion Arnold did, calling her his “second mom.”

With her impact on the locker room, she also extended her influence in Nick Saban’s professional life, offering him media relations advice and standing tall behind his career decisions.

This makes it a special moment for Alabama, too. For 17 years, Miss Terry has been the First Lady of Alabama. On her last birthday, Kristen Saban made sure she gave her the title she deserves, sharing a post that wished her a perfect wish and summed up everything she had done for Alabama over the years.

‘‘Happy birthday, my best friend, queen of the SEC and Alabama football, best mom I could ask for,” Kristen Saban said in 2025.

Terry Saban didn’t just support Nick Saban but also made sure they gave it back to Alabama and their fans. In 1998, both of them founded Nick’s Kids Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports children, families, teachers, and students across Alabama and the Southeast.

Despite having a full-time career as an educator and guidance counselor, she chose to stay by her man’s side and support him through every transition. So, that’s how, for all these years, Miss Terry worked effortlessly behind the scenes, and even now she is supporting Saban with his ESPN gig.

But her influence goes beyond that.

Miss Terry’s positive influence on Alabama and her family

Kristen Saban shares a deep bond with her mother. Terry Saban, which makes it an even more special day for her. She calls Miss Terry her best friend and role model, posting pictures on Instagram that show how deep their bond is.

She is the one who kept her family together during Nick Saban’s major coaching transitions from LSU to Alabama. Miss Terry never left them alone for a moment, but when she couldn’t be present for Kristen’s pregnancy, that broke her.

She gave birth to James during the pandemic. COVID-19, which restricted her from visiting Kristen Saban during labor, made her really miss her mom at that moment.

“They were just kind of like, looking at me, and then when they pulled James up over the curtain, then we kind of flipped everything,” Kristen Saban said. “But it’s like, if it wasn’t the pandemic, my mom and Adam would have been right there. But Adam was there, but it was just kind of sad. Like when you’re a girl, and you’re having your first baby, you always want your mom there.”

During Nick Saban’s tenure, she often attended recruiting events while hosting game-day breakfast for players and their families. This is how she impacted not just her family but everyone around her, which marks her special big celebration for both of them.