document_title: Flag of Australia

question_text: what does 'union jack' in australian national flag represent

question_tokens: what does ' union jack ' in australian national flag represent

text: Flag of Australia

text: Devices[edit]

text:
Constituent parts of the flag of Australia

Flags forming the Union Jack

Southern Cross

Commonwealth Star

text: The Australian flag uses three prominent symbols: the Union Flag, the Commonwealth Star (also the Federation Star) and the Southern Cross (or Crux).[6]

text: In its original usage as the flag of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Union Flag combined three heraldic crosses which represent the constituent countries of the United Kingdom (as constituted in 1801):[7]

text:
The red St George's Cross of England
The white diagonal St Andrew's Cross of Scotland
The red diagonal St Patrick's Cross of Ireland

text: The Union Flag is thought to symbolise Australia's history as six British colonies and the principles upon which the Australian Federation is based,[6][8] although a more historic view sees its inclusion in the design as demonstrating loyalty to the British Empire.[9]

text: The Commonwealth Star, also known as the Federation Star,[6]  originally had six points, representing the six federating colonies. In 1908, a seventh point was added to symbolise the Papua and any future territories.[6][10] Another rationale for the change was to match the star used on the Coat of Arms, which was created in the same year. The Commonwealth Star does not have any official relation to Beta Centauri, despite the latter's brightness and location in the sky; however, the 1870 version of the flag of South Australia featured the "pointer" stars, Alpha and Beta Centauri.[11][12]

text: The Southern Cross is one of the most distinctive constellations visible in the Southern Hemisphere,[6] and has been used to represent Australia since the early days of British settlement.[6] Ivor Evans, one of the flag's designers, intended the Southern Cross to also refer to the four moral virtues ascribed to the four main stars by Dante: justice, prudence, temperance and fortitude.[13] The number of points on the stars of the Southern Cross on the modern Australian flag differs from the original competition-winning design, in which they ranged between five and nine points each, representing their relative brightness in the night sky.[6] The stars are named after the first five letters of the Greek alphabet, in decreasing order of brightness in the sky.[6] In order to simplify manufacture, the British Admiralty standardised the four larger outer stars at seven points each, leaving the smaller, more central star with five points. This change was officially gazetted on 23 February 1903.[6]

text: A complete specification for the official design was published in the Commonwealth Gazette in 1934.[14]

text: Construction[edit]

text: Under the Flags Act, the Australian National Flag must meet the following specifications:[15]

text:
the Union Flag occupying the upper quarter next the staff;[16]
a large seven-pointed white star (six representing the six states of Australia and one representing the territories) in the centre of the lower quarter next the staff and pointing direct to the centre of St George's Cross in the Union Flag;[16]
five white stars (representing the Southern Cross) in the half of the flag further from the staff.[16]

text: The location of the stars is as follows:[16]

text:
Commonwealth Star – 7-pointed star, centred in lower hoist.[16]
Alpha Crucis – 7-pointed star, straight below centre fly 1⁄6 up from bottom edge.[16]
Beta Crucis – 7-pointed star, 1⁄4 of the way left and 1⁄16 up from the centre fly.[16]
Gamma Crucis – 7-pointed star, straight above centre fly 1⁄6 down from top edge.[16]
Delta Crucis – 7-pointed star, 2⁄9 of the way right and 31⁄240 up from the centre fly.[16]
Epsilon Crucis – 5-pointed star, 1⁄10 of the way right and 1⁄24 down from the centre fly.[16]

text: The outer diameter of the Commonwealth Star is 3⁄10 of the flag's width, while that of the stars in the Southern Cross is 1⁄7 of the flag's width, except for Epsilon, for which the fraction is 1⁄12. Each star's inner diameter is 4⁄9 of the outer diameter. The flag's width is the measurement of the hoist edge of the flag (the distance from top to bottom).[16]

text: Colours[edit]

text: The colours of the flag, although not specified by the Flags Act, have been given Pantone specifications by the Awards and Culture Branch of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.[17] The Australian Government's Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers also gives CMYK and RGB specifications for depicting the flag in print and on screen respectively.[18]

text:
Scheme

Blue

Red

White

Source(s)

Pantone
280 C
185 C
Safe
[19][20]

RGB(Hex)
0–0–139(#00008B)
255–0–0(#FF0000)
255–255–255(#FFFFFF)
[18]

CMYK
100%–80%–0%–0%
0%–100%–100%–0%
0%–0%–0%–0%
[18]

text: The blue shade also has a web-safe colour of #000099, used for certain digital screens that may have trouble displaying the shade of blue in the table above. The flag may be reproduced in a single colour, with the colour being either black or one of the two colours of the flag, albeit blue is generally preferred for single-colour productions.[18]

text: Protocol[edit]

text: Guidelines for flying the flag are laid out in the 1953 Flags Act and in a pamphlet entitled "The Australian National Flag", which is published by the Australian Government on an infrequent basis. The guidelines say that the Australian National Flag is allowed to be flown on every day of the year,[21] and that it "should be treated with respect and dignity it deserves as the nation's most important national symbol".[22]

text: The National Flag must always be flown in a position superior to that of any other flag or ensign when flown in Australia or on Australian territory, and it should always be flown aloft and free.[22] The flag must be flown in all government buildings and displayed in polling stations when there is a national election or referendum.[23] Private pleasure craft can fly either the Red Ensign or the Australian National Flag.[24] The British Blue Ensign can be flown on an Australian owned ship instead of the Australian Flag if the owner has a warrant valid under British law.[25]

text: The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet also advises that the flag should only be flown during daylight hours, unless it is illuminated. Two flags should not be flown from the same flagpole.[22] The flag should not be displayed upside down under any circumstances, not even to express a situation of distress.[22] The flag is not to be placed or dropped on the ground, nor should it be used to cover an object in the lead-up to an unveiling ceremony, or to hide other material. Flags that have decayed or faded should not be displayed.[22]

text: According to a government publication, old or decayed flags should be disposed of in private "in a dignified way"; a method given as an example is to cut the flag into small pieces before being placed in the waste.[22]

text: When the flag is flown at half-mast, it should be recognisably at half-mast, for example, a third of the way down from the top of the pole. The Australian Flag should never be flown half mast at night. Flags are flown at half-mast on government buildings:[26]

text:
On the death of the sovereign – from the time of announcement of the death up to and including the funeral. On the day the accession of the new sovereign is proclaimed, it is customary to raise the flag to the top of the mast from 11 am.
On the death of a member of the royal family.
On the death of the governor-general or a former governor-general.
On the death of a distinguished Australian citizen. Flags in any locality may be flown at half-mast on the death of a notable local citizen or on the day, or part of the day, of their funeral.
On the death of the head of state of another country with which Australia has diplomatic relations—the flag would be flown on the day of the funeral.
On ANZAC Day the flag is flown at half-mast until noon.
On Remembrance Day flags are flown at peak until 10:30 am, at half-mast from 10:30 am to 11:03 am, then at peak for the remainder of the day.[26]

text: The Department provides a subscription-based email service called the Commonwealth Flag Network, which gives information on national occasions to fly the flag at half-mast as well as national days of commemoration and celebration of the flag.[27]

text: The Australian National Flag may be used for commercial or advertising purposes without formal permission as long as the flag is used in a dignified manner and reproduced completely and accurately; it should not be defaced by overprinting with words or illustrations, it should not be covered by other objects in displays, and all symbolic parts of the flag should be identifiable.[20][23] It also must sit first (typically, left) where more than one flag is used. For this reason the Collingwood Football Club had to reverse its logo, which features the flag.

text: There have been several attempts to make desecration of the Australian flag a crime. In 1953, during the second reading debate on the Flags Act, the leader of the Opposition, Arthur Calwell, unsuccessfully called for provisions to be added to the bill to criminalise desecration. Michael Cobb introduced private member's bills in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992 to ban desecration, but on each occasion the bill lapsed.[28] In 2002, the leader of the National Party, John Anderson, proposed to introduce laws banning desecration of the Australian flag, a call that attracted support from some parliamentarians both in his own party and the senior Coalition partner, the Liberal Party. The Prime Minister, John Howard, rejected the calls stating that "...in the end I guess it's part of the sort of free speech code that we have in this country".[29] In 2003, the Australian Flags (Desecration of the Flag) Bill was tabled in Parliament by Trish Draper without support from Howard and subsequently lapsed.[30] In 2006, following a flag-burning incident during the 2005 Cronulla riots and a burnt flag display by a Melbourne artist, Liberal MP Bronwyn Bishop introduced the Protection of the Australian National Flag (Desecration of the Flag) Bill 2006. This bill sought to make it "a criminal offence to wilfully destroy or otherwise mutilate the Flag in circumstances where a reasonable person would infer that the destruction or mutilation is intended publicly to express contempt or disrespect for the Flag or the Australian Nation."[31] The bill received a second reading but subsequently lapsed and did not go to vote in the House of Representatives.

text: History[edit]

text: Before 1901, what is now Australia was six separate British colonies. The Union Flag, as the flag of the British Empire,[6] was first used on Australian soil on 29 April 1770 when Lieutenant James Cook landed at Botany Bay, and it was again used at the start of European settlement of the country on 26 January 1788.[32] This was the original Union Flag introduced in 1606 that did not include the Saint Patrick's Saltire, included from 1801 after the Acts of Union 1801. It is the second version post 1801 that is depicted on the Australian Flag.  It was often used to represent them collectively, and each colony also had its own flag based on the Union Flag.[32] As an Australian national consciousness began to emerge, several flag movements were formed and unofficial new flags came into common usage.[32] Two attempts were made throughout the nineteenth century to design a national flag. The first such attempt was the National Colonial Flag created in 1823–1824 by Captains John Nicholson and John Bingle.[32] This flag consisted of a red cross on a white background, with an eight-point star on each of the four limbs of the cross, while incorporating a Union Flag in the canton.[32] The most popular "national" flag of the period was the 1831 Federation Flag, also designed by Nicholson. This flag was the same at the National Colonial Flag, except that the cross was blue instead of resembling that of St. George. Although the flag was designed by Nicholson in 1831, it did not become widely popular until the latter part of the century, when calls for federation began to grow louder.[32] These flags, and many others such as the Eureka Flag (which came into use at the Eureka Stockade in 1854), featured stars representing the Southern Cross.[32] The oldest known flag to show the stars arranged as they are seen in the sky is the Anti-Transportation League Flag, which is similar in design to the present National Flag.[32] The differences were that there was no Commonwealth Star, while the components of the Southern Cross are depicted with eight points and in gold. This flag was only briefly in usage, as two years after the formation of the Anti-Transportation League in 1851, the colonial authorities decided to stop the intake of convicts, so the ATL ceased its activities.[32] The Eureka Flag is often viewed as the first "Australian" flag as it was the first notable example of a design that had the Southern Cross while excluding the Union Flag. The Murray River Flag, popular since the 1850s, is still widely used by boats that traverse Australia's main waterway. It is the same as the National Colonial Flag, except that the white background in the three quadrants other the canton were replaced with four alternating blue and white stripes, representing the four major rivers that run into the Murray River.[32]

text:
National Colonial Flag

Australian Federation Flag

Eureka Flag

Anti-Transportation League Flag

Murray River Flag

text: 1901 Federal Flag Design Competition[edit]

text: As Federation approached, thoughts turned to an official federal flag. In 1900, the Melbourne Herald conducted a design competition with a prize of 25 Australian pounds (2017: A$3,700) in which entries were required to include the Union Flag and Southern Cross, resulting in a British Ensign style flag.[33] The competition conducted by the Review of Reviews for Australasia—a Melbourne-based publication—later that year thought such a restriction seemed unwise, despite observing that designs without these emblems were unlikely to be successful;[33] nonetheless, it suggested that entries incorporate the two elements in their design.[34] After Federation on 1 January 1901 and following receipt of a request from the British government to design a new flag, the new Commonwealth Government held an official competition for a new federal flag in April. The competition attracted 32,823 entries,[34] including those originally sent to the Review of Reviews.[34] One of these was submitted by an unnamed governor of a colony.[35] The two contests were merged after the Review of Reviews agreed to being integrated into the government initiative. The £75 prize money of each competition were combined and augmented by a further £50 donated by Havelock Tobacco Company.[34] Each competitor was required to submit two coloured sketches, a red ensign for the merchant service and public use, and a blue ensign for naval and official use. The designs were judged on seven criteria: loyalty to the Empire, Federation, history, heraldry, distinctiveness, utility and cost of manufacture.[9] The majority of designs incorporated the Union Flag and the Southern Cross, but native animals were also popular, including one that depicted a variety of indigenous animals playing cricket.[35] The entries were put on display at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne and the judges took six days to deliberate before reaching their conclusion.[35] Five almost identical entries were chosen as the winning design, and the designers shared the £200 (2009: $25,000) prize money. They were Ivor Evans, a fourteen-year-old schoolboy from Melbourne; Leslie John Hawkins, a teenager apprenticed to an optician from Sydney; Egbert John Nuttall, an architect from Melbourne; Annie Dorrington, an artist from Perth; and William Stevens, a ship's officer from Auckland, New Zealand. The five winners received £40 each.[35] The differences to the current flag were the six-pointed Commonwealth Star, while the components stars in the Southern Cross had different numbers of points, with more if the real star was brighter. This led to five stars of nine, eight, seven, six and five points respectively.[35]

text: The flag's initial reception was mixed. The then republican magazine The Bulletin labelled it:[36]

text: a staled réchauffé of the British flag, with no artistic virtue, no national significance... Minds move slowly: and Australia is still Britain's little boy. What more natural than that he should accept his father's cut-down garments, – lacking the power to protest, and only dimly realising his will. That bastard flag is a true symbol of the bastard state of Australian opinion.[37]

text:
Melbourne Herald competition winning design[38]

Blue version of winning design

As approved by King Edward VII

text: As the design was basically the Victorian flag with a star added, many critics in both the Federal Government and the New South Wales government objected to the chosen flag for being "too Victorian".[39] They wanted the Australian Federation Flag, and Prime Minister Barton, who had been promoting the Federation Flag, submitted this flag along with that chosen by the judges to the Admiralty for final approval.[40] The Admiralty chose the Red for private vessels and Blue Ensigns for government ships.[41] The Barton government regarded both the Blue and Red Ensigns as colonial maritime flags[42] and "grudgingly" agreed to fly it only on naval ships. Later governments, that of Chris Watson in 1904 and Andrew Fisher in 1910, were also unhappy with the design, wanting something "more distinctive" and more "indicative of Australian unity."[43]

text: On 3 September 1901, the new Australian flag flew for the first time from the dome of the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.[35] The names of the joint winners of the design competition were announced by Hersey, Countess of Hopetoun (the wife of the Governor-General, the 7th Earl of Hopetoun) and she unfurled the flag for the first time.[44] Since 1996 this date has been officially known as Australian National Flag Day.[45]

text: The competition-winning designs were submitted to the British Colonial Secretary in 1902.  Prime Minister Edmund Barton announced in the Commonwealth Gazette that King Edward VII had officially approved the design as the flag of Australia on 11 February 1903.[1] The published version made all the stars in the Southern Cross seven-pointed apart from the smallest, and is the same as the current design except the six-pointed Commonwealth Star.[10]

text: Blue or Red Ensign?[edit]

text: The Red Ensign was the only flag private citizens could fly on land or have in their possession.[42] By traditional British understanding, the Blue Ensign was reserved for Commonwealth Government use though the Australian Army always used the red ensign until after the 1953 changes, so Gallipoli, the First and Second world wars were fought under the Red Ensign. State and local governments, private organisations and individuals were expected to use the Red Ensign.[42] The official painting of the opening of Australia's new Parliament House in 1927 shows Red Ensigns and Union Flags being flown.[42][46] However a lithograph by an unknown artist featuring only Blue Ensigns has since emerged. As the commissioned artist, Septimus Power may have chosen red for dramatic effect or because it was the colour the public used.[47] There was a photograph taken that day which appears to show a Blue Ensign hanging behind a Union Jack at the easternmost end of the building. The correspondent for The West Australian newspaper would report that: "The sunlight streamed through the crimson of drooping flags”. Altogether this means there is a strong possibility that both ensigns were actually used on the day.[48]

text: Despite executive branch proclamations as to the respective roles of the two red, white and blue ensigns there remained confusion until the Flags Act 1953 declared the Blue Ensign to be the national flag as the Red ensign looked too much like a communist flag for the government of the day,the Red Ensign as the flag of the Australian mercantile marine.[49][50] Red Ensigns continued to be used in Anzac Day marches into the 1960s as it was the flag that the soldiers had fought under.[51]

text: Technically, private non-commercial vessels were liable to a substantial fine if they did not fly the British Red Ensign. However, an Admiralty Warrant was issued on 5 December 1938, authorising these vessels to fly the Australian Red Ensign. The Shipping Registration Act 1981 reaffirmed that the Australian Red Ensign was the proper "colours" for commercial ships over 24 metres (79 ft) in tonnage length.[52]

text: As a result of the declaration of 3 September as Merchant Navy Day in 2008, the Red Ensign can be flown on land alongside the Australian national flag on this occasion as a matter of protocol.[53]

text: Replacement of the Union Jack[edit]

text: The Blue Ensign replaced the Union Jack at the Olympic Games at St Louis in 1904. In the same year, due to lobbying by Richard Crouch MP, it had the same status as the Union Flag in the UK, when the House of Representatives proclaimed that the Blue Ensign "should be flown upon all forts, vessels, saluting places and public buildings of the Commonwealth upon all occasions when flags are used".[54] The government agreed to fly the Blue Ensign on special flag days, but not if it meant additional expense, which undermined the motion.[54] The Blue Ensign could only be flown on a state government building if a state flag was not available.[42]

text: On 2 June 1904 a resolution was passed by parliament to replace the Union Jack with the "Australian Flag" on forts. Initially the Department of Defence resisted using the Flag, considering it to be a marine ensign and favouring King's Regulations that specified the use of the Union Jack. After being approached by the Department of Defence, Prime Minister Chris Watson stated in parliament that he was not satisfied with the design of the Australian flag and that implementation of the 1904 resolution could wait until consideration was given to "adopt another [flag] which in our opinion is more appropriate."[55] In 1908, Australian Army Military Order, No 58/08 ordered the "Australian Ensign" replace the Union Flag at all military establishments. From 1911 it was the saluting flag of the Australian army at all reviews and ceremonial parades,[56][57]

text: The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) was promulgated on 5 October 1911 and was directed to fly the British White Ensign on the stern and the flag of Australia on the Jackstaff.[58][59][60] Despite the government wanting to use the Blue Ensign on Australian warships, officers continued to fly the Union Flag, and it was not until 1913, following public protest in Fremantle after its use for the review of HMAS Melbourne, that the government "reminded" them of the 1911 legislation.[61] The British White Ensign was finally replaced by a distinctively Australian White Ensign on 1 March 1967.[59]

text: Despite the new Australian Flags official use, from 1901 until the 1920s the Federation Flag remained the most popular Australian flag for public and even some official events. It was flown at the 1907 State Premiers conference in Melbourne and during the 1927 visit to Australia of the Duke and Duchess of York, the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.[62]

text: In the 1920s there was debate over whether the Blue Ensign was reserved for Commonwealth buildings only, culminating in a 1924 agreement that the Union Flag should take precedence as the National Flag.[42] As the Union Flag was recognised as the National flag, it was considered disloyal to fly either ensign without the Union flag alongside, and it was the Union Flag that covered the coffins of Australia's war dead.[42][63]

text: In 1940 the Victorian government passed legislation allowing schools to purchase Blue Ensigns,[64] which in turn allowed its use by private citizens. Prime Minister Robert Menzies then encouraged schools, government building and private citizens to use the Blue Ensign, issuing a statement the following year allowing Australians to use either ensign providing it was done so respectfully.[10][42]

text: Prime Minister Ben Chifley issued a similar statement in 1947.[10][65]

text: On 4 December 1950, the Prime Minister Robert Menzies proclaimed the Blue ensign as the National flag and in 1951 King George VI approved the Government's recommendation.[59]

text: When the Flags Bill was introduced into parliament on 20 November 1953, Menzies said:

text: "This bill is very largely a formal measure which puts into legislative form what has become almost the established practice in Australia ... The design adopted was submitted to His Majesty King Edward VII, and he was pleased to approve of it as the Australian flag in 1902. However, no legislative action has ever been taken to determine the precise form of the flag or the circumstances of its use, and this bill has been brought down to produce that result."[66]

text: This status was formalised on 14 February 1954, when Queen Elizabeth II gave Royal Assent to the Flags Act 1953, which had been passed two months earlier.[67][68] The monarch's Assent was timed to coincide with the Queen's visit to the country and came after she had opened the new session of Parliament.[67] The Act confers statutory powers on the Governor-General to appoint 'flags and ensigns of Australia' and authorise warrants and make rules as to use of flags. Section 8 ensures that the 'right or privilege' of a person to fly the Union Flag is not affected by the Act.

text: South Australia chose to continue with the Union Flag as National flag until 1956, when schools were given the option of using either the Union or Australian flags.[69] The Union Flag was still regarded as the National flag by many Australians well into the 1970s, which inspired Arthur Smout's campaign from 1968 to 1982 to encourage Australians to give the Australian flag precedence.[70]

text: By the mid-1980s, the Commonwealth Government no longer reminded Australians they had the right to fly the Union Flag alongside the National Flag or provided illustrations of how to correctly display them together.[71]

text: In 1998, the Flags Act was amended to provide that any change to the national flag must be approved by a referendum which must offer the existing flag alongside any alternative designs. The requirement for a referendum is not binding on Parliament, which would need to amend the Flags Act to alter the design.[72]

text: Flag Day[edit]

text: In 1996, the Governor-General, Sir William Deane, issued a proclamation recognising the annual commemoration of  Australian National Flag Day, to be held on 3 September.[73] Flag Day celebrations had been occurring in Sydney since 1985. The inaugural event was held under the auspices of the New South Wales branch of the Australian National Flag Association to commemorate the anniversary of the flag being first flown in 1901.[74] On Flag Day, ceremonies are held in schools, major centres, and the Governor-General, Governors and some politicians attend or release statements to the media.[75] Australian National Flag Day is not a public holiday.

text: Centenary flags[edit]

text: Centenary flag of state[edit]

text: On the centenary of the first flying of the flag, 3 September 2001, the Australian National Flag Association presented the Prime Minister with a flag intended to replace the missing original flag. This flag was not a replica of the original flag, on which the Commonwealth Star had only six points, but was a current Australian National Flag with a seven pointed Commonwealth Star. The flag has a special headband,[76] including a cardinal red stripe and the inscription

text: The Centenary Flag. Presented to the Hon John Howard MP, Prime Minister of Australia on behalf of the people of Australia by the Australian National Flag Association on 3 September 2001 at the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne to commemorate the first flying of the Australian National Flag on 3 September 1901 attended by the Rt Hon Sir Edmund Barton MHR, Prime Minister of Australia.[76]

text: A warrant authorising the use of the Centenary Flag under section 6 of the Flags Act was issued by the Governor-General and the flag is now used as the official flag of state on important occasions.[77] These included the opening of new parliamentary terms and when visiting heads of state arrive.[78] The flag has been transported across the country for flying in every state and territory. It was later used on Remembrance Day in 2003 for the opening of the Australian War Memorial in Hyde Park in London.[78]

text: Parliament house centenary flag[edit]

text: On the 18 September 2001 during the centenary of federation the federal member for Hinkler, Paul Neville, would request of the speaker that:

text: "before it [the flag] becomes too faded or too tattered, [it] be taken down and perhaps offered to a museum or an art gallery as the seminal flag that flew over this building 100 years from the time the first flag was flown?"[79]

text: The parliament house centenary flag was subsequently entrusted to the Australian Flag Society and has been paraded at schools to mark Australian National Flag Day on a tour of the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Queensland.[80][81][82][83][84][85][86]

text: Other Australian flags[edit]

text: Under Section 5 of the Flags Act 1953, the Governor-General may proclaim flags other than the National Flag and the Red Ensign as flags or ensigns of Australia. Five flags have been appointed in this manner. The first two were the Royal Australian Navy Ensign and the Royal Australian Air Force Ensign, the flags used by the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Australian Army has no ensign of its own, but they are given the ceremonial task to be the defender of the National Flag.[87] The Air Force and the Navy flew the appropriate British ensigns (the White Ensign and the Royal Air Force Ensign) until the adoption of similar ensigns based on the Australian National Flag in 1948 and 1967 respectively.[88] The current Navy and Air Force Ensigns were officially appointed in 1967 and 1982 respectively.[89]

text: In 1995, the Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag were also appointed flags of Australia.[90] While mainly seen as a gesture of reconciliation, this recognition caused a small amount of controversy at the time, with then opposition leader John Howard describing it as divisive.[91] Some indigenous people, such as the flag's designer Harold Thomas, felt that the government was appropriating their flag,[91] saying it "doesn't need any more recognition".[92]

text: The Australian Defence Force Ensign was proclaimed in 2000. This flag is used to represent the Defence Force when more than one branch of the military is involved, such as at the Australian Defence Force Academy, and by the Minister for Defence.[93]

text: The Legislative Instruments Act 2003 required the proclamations of these flags to be lodged in a Federal Register. Due to an administrative oversight they were not, and the proclamations were automatically repealed.[94] The governor-general issued new proclamations dated 25 January 2008, with effect from 1 January 2008 (or 1 October 2006 in the case of the Defence Force Ensign).[95]

text:
Link to file

Royal Australian Navy Ensign

Royal Australian Air Force Ensign

Australian Aboriginal Flag

Torres Strait Islander Flag

Australian Defence Force Ensign

Royal Standard of Australia

text:
In addition to the seven flags declared under the Flags Act, there are two additional Commonwealth flags, the Australian Civil Aviation Ensign
and Australian Customs Flag,[96] eight Vice-Regal flags and nine state and territory flags that are recognised as official flags through other means.[97]

text: Other Australian flag variants[edit]

text: Two variants of the Australian flag have been used only on the prime minister's car.

text:
300px

Prime minister's vehicle flag

text: Flag debate[edit]

text: There have been mild but persistent debates over whether or not the Union Flag should be removed from the canton of the Australian flag.[98] This debate has culminated on several occasions, such as the period preceding the Australian Bicentenary in 1988, and during the Prime Ministership of Paul Keating,[98] who publicly supported a change in the flag and said:

text: I do not believe that the symbols and the expression of the full sovereignty of Australian nationhood can ever be complete while we have a flag with the flag of another country on the corner of it.[99]

text: There are two lobby groups involved in the flag debate: Ausflag (est. 1981), which supports changing the flag,[100] and the Australian National Flag Association (ANFA) (est. 1983), which wants to keep the existing flag.[101] The primary arguments for keeping the flag cite historic precedence, while those for changing the flag are based around the idea that the status quo does not accurately depict Australia's status as an independent and multicultural nation,[102] nor is its design unique enough to easily distinguish it from similar flags, such as that of New Zealand, Cook Islands and Tuvalu (despite the counter argument that this is not uncommon, as seen with Romania and Chad sharing identical flags). The similarity between the flag of Australia and those of other countries is often derived from a common colonial history.[103]

text: The Coalition government under John Howard in 1996 formally recognised the commemoration of Australian National Flag Day, in 1998 sponsored an amendment to the Flags Act to require any changes to the national flag design to be passed at a plebiscite along the same lines of the 1977 national song poll, in 2002 supplied ANFA's promotional video free to all primary schools and in 2004 required all schools receiving federal funds to fly the Australian flag.[104]

text: Ausflag periodically campaigns for flag change in association with national events such as the 2000 Summer Olympics,[105] and holds flag design competitions,[100] while ANFA's activities include promotion of the existing flag through events such as National Flag Day.[106] A 2004 Newspoll that asked: "Are you personally in favour or against changing the Australian flag so as to remove the Union Jack emblem?" was supported by 32% of respondents and opposed by 57%, with 11% uncommitted.[107][108] A 2010 Morgan Poll that asked: "Do you think Australia should have a new design for our National Flag?" was supported by 29% of respondents and opposed by 66%, with 5% uncommitted.[109]

text: The connection with the Australian flag is also notable the highest response to it is "extremely proud" and it is the "most embraced Australian symbol."[110]


document_title: Nick Saban

question_text: what position did nick saban play at kent state

root

text: Nick Saban

text: Early life and education[edit]

text: Saban was born in Fairmont, West Virginia, to Mary and Nick Lou Saban Sr. He grew up and graduated from Monongah High School[11] in the small community of Monongah, West Virginia, about 90 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On December 18, 1971, he married Terry Constable, who was also from West Virginia. In 1973, Saban graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor's degree in business. In 1975, he earned his master's degree in sports administration from Kent State.[12]

tag: p

text: Saban played defensive back for Kent State under coach Don James. He and a roommate avoided being part of the Kent State shootings when they decided to eat lunch before walking to the rally area.[13]

text: Coaching career[edit]

text: Early coaching career[edit]

text: Saban had not intended to enter the coaching ranks until Don James hired him as a graduate assistant at Kent State, while Saban waited for his wife to graduate.[14] He later served as an assistant coach in NCAA Division I-A, at several schools: Syracuse in 1977, West Virginia in 1978 and 1979, Ohio State in 1980 and 1981, Navy in 1982, and Michigan State from 1983 to 1987.[15]

text: After the 1987 season, Kent State passed over Saban for its vacant head coaching position and hired Dick Crum.[16] Saban was then hired as an assistant for the Houston Oilers in the National Football League.[15]

text: Toledo[edit]

text: Saban began his career as a head coach when he was hired by the University of Toledo on December 22, 1989.[17] Coming off of 6–5 seasons in both 1988 and 1989, the Rockets found quick success under Nick Saban in 1990. With a 9–2 season, Toledo was co-champion of the Mid-American Conference.  The two games the Rockets lost that season were by narrow margins: one point to Central Michigan and four points to Navy.[18] While coaching in Toledo, Saban turned down an application from future head coach Urban Meyer, who was looking for any coaching job on Saban's staff.[19]

text: Cleveland Browns[edit]

text: The following February, Saban resigned as Toledo's head coach after only  one season in order to become defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns under head coach Bill Belichick.[20] He remained in that position for four seasons. Saban later said these four years were the "worst of my life".[21]

text: Michigan State[edit]

text: Saban arrived in East Lansing, Michigan prior to the 1995 season. Michigan State had not had a winning season since 1990, and the team was sanctioned by the NCAA for recruiting violations that were committed under his predecessor and former mentor, George Perles.[22]

text: Beginning in 1995, Saban moderately improved Michigan State's fortunes, taking the Spartans to bowl games in each of his first three seasons. From 1995 to 1997, Michigan State finished 6–5–1, 6–6, and 7–5. In comparison, MSU had finished 5–6, 6–6, and 5–6 (prior to NCAA forfeits) in 1992–1994.

text: On November 7, 1998, the Spartans upset the No. 1 ranked Ohio State 28–24 at Ohio Stadium. However, even after the upset and an early-season rout of then-highly ranked Notre Dame the Spartans finished 6–6, including three last-minute losses featuring turnovers, defensive lapses, and special-teams misplays, and failed to earn a bowl invitation.

text: Saban led the 1999 Spartans to a 9–2 season that included wins over Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. However, the two losses were routs at the hands of Purdue and Wisconsin. Following the final regular-season game against Penn State, Saban abruptly resigned to accept the head coaching position with LSU. Saban's assistant head coach and successor, Bobby Williams, then coached the Spartans to a Citrus Bowl victory over Florida, giving the Spartans an overall record of 10–2 for the 1999 season. It would be the best season in terms of wins for the Spartans since 1965, and it would see the Spartans reach their highest ranking since the 1966 team.[23] Future NFL head coach Josh McDaniels served as a graduate assistant on Saban's 1999 coaching staff.

text: LSU[edit]

text: In November 1999, LSU named Nick Saban as their 31st head football coach.[24] In 2000, the Tigers went 8–4 and won the Peach Bowl. The season was somewhat marred by several lopsided losses, including a 34–17 loss to the Auburn Tigers, a 13–10 loss to the UAB Blazers, and a 41–9 loss to the Florida Gators.

text: Saban led LSU to a 10–3 record in 2001, including an SEC Championship and a Sugar Bowl victory. After a loss to the Ole Miss Rebels, the Tigers finished the year with six straight wins, including a win over #2 Tennessee in the 2001 SEC Championship Game, and a 47–34 win over Illinois in the 2002 Sugar Bowl. It was the first outright SEC championship for LSU since 1986, and the first time the Tigers had won the Sugar Bowl since 1968.

text: The 2002 season opened with high expectations, but a 26–8 loss at the hands of Virginia Tech raised serious questions about their outlook. However, the Tigers would rebound to win their next six straight, but after a mid-season injury to quarterback Matt Mauck, LSU lost four of its last six games to close the season, including a 21–20 loss at Arkansas, which knocked the Tigers out of the SEC Championship Game, and forced them to share the SEC West Division title with the Razorbacks. LSU also suffered a 35–20 loss to Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic, and finished 8–5.

text: The 2003 Tigers started the season with five wins, including a 17–10 victory in Tiger Stadium over the defending SEC champion, and then undefeated, Georgia Bulldogs. LSU lost the following week to Florida, 19–7. After the loss to Florida, LSU did not lose again in the regular season and ended its regular season with a win over the Arkansas Razorbacks to win the SEC West. After winning the SEC West, the Tigers defeated the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. They were ranked No. 2 in the BCS standings and advanced to play the BCS No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners in the Sugar Bowl, which was the host of the BCS Championship Game in 2003. The Tigers won the game 21–14. The win gave LSU the BCS national championship[25] and a 13–1 finish for the season.[26]

text: LSU finished the 2004 season 9–3, after losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Capital One Bowl 30–25 on a final play touchdown pass. Other losses that season were on the road at Auburn 10–9, and a loss on the road to Georgia 45–16. At the end of the 2004 season, Saban left LSU to coach the Miami Dolphins.

text: Miami Dolphins[edit]

text: Saban accepted the head coaching position for the Miami Dolphins on December 25, 2004. He was the sixth coach in the franchise's history. The Nick Saban era officially kicked off with a 34–10 win over the Denver Broncos in 2005. From there, however, the Dolphins struggled, losing seven of their next nine games to fall to 3–7. The two wins came over the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints, a game that took place in Tiger Stadium due to Hurricane Katrina. After a frustrating two months, however, the Dolphins would rally late in the season, as they won their final six games, including a win to end the season in Foxboro, Massachusetts over the New England Patriots. The team finished the year with a 9–7 record, and narrowly missed the playoffs in Saban's first season.

text: Going into the 2006 season, the Dolphins were expected to contend for a playoff spot. The season, however, turned out to be a major disappointment. The Dolphins were considering quarterback Drew Brees, who had just been released from the San Diego Chargers due to a career-threatening shoulder injury and subsequent contract dispute, but instead signed Daunte Culpepper, who was still recovering from a knee injury from the previous season. Culpepper never fully recovered and was ultimately benched after the fourth game of the season, when the Dolphins lost to the Houston Texans. He was eventually put on Injured Reserve. After starting the season 1–6, however, the Dolphins got hot. They won four straight games, including wins over the Chicago Bears, who were previously unbeaten and made it to the Super Bowl that year, and the Kansas City Chiefs. Suddenly, the Dolphins were back in the playoff hunt at 5–6, but a 24–10 loss the following week to the Jacksonville Jaguars all but ended their playoff hopes. The Dolphins would rebound the following week with a 21–0 win over the New England Patriots. The win would be the last bright spot for the Dolphins in the 2006 season. Quarterback Joey Harrington was eventually benched in favor of third-string quarterback Cleo Lemon. While the defense was very good, the offense was anemic, with the only bright spot being running back Ronnie Brown, who gained over 1,000 rushing yards on the season. The Dolphins would lose their next two games to the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets to finish 6–10, Saban's first losing season as a head coach.

text: On November 27, 2006, the University of Alabama announced the firing of head coach Mike Shula. Saban was rumored to be at the top of Alabama's wish list, but Saban refused to discuss the job while his NFL season was still underway.[27] During the month of December 2006, Saban was repeatedly questioned by the media about the Alabama job, and he repeatedly denied the rumors in his weekly press conferences, stating on December 21 "I guess I have to say it. I'm not going to be the Alabama coach."[28][29] Saban met with Alabama officials on January 1, 2007,[30] which was shortly after the Dolphins' season ending loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

text: Alabama[edit]

text: 2007 season[edit]

text: On January 3, 2007, following a meeting with Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga, Saban announced that he had accepted an offer to become Alabama's 27th head coach.[31] His initial eight-year contract totaling US$32 million made him one of the highest-paid football coaches,[32] professional or collegiate, in the United States at the time.[33]

text: On January 4, 2007, at a press conference on the Alabama campus, Saban was officially introduced as the head football coach of The University of Alabama. On September 1, 2007, his Crimson Tide opened the season with a 52–6 win over the Western Carolina Catamounts, scoring more points than during any game in the 2006 season. Saban became the fifth Alabama coach since 1900 to start his first season 3–0, earning a win over then-ranked No. 16 Arkansas Razorbacks.[34] Alabama ended the regular season with a 6–6 record, including a four-game losing streak, a particularly humiliating loss at home to Louisiana-Monroe, and a sixth straight loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide defeated Colorado in the 2007 Independence Bowl, 30–24, to end the year 7–6.[n 1]

text: 2008 season[edit]

text: During his second year as head coach of the Tide, Saban led his team from a sub-par season in 2007 to a perfect 12–0 regular season record. Saban finished the regular season undefeated for the first time in his career as a head coach as he led the Crimson Tide to its first undefeated regular season since 1994.  He appeared on the September 1, 2008, cover of Forbes magazine as "The Most Powerful Coach in Sports".[35]

text: His second season at the Capstone began with a 34–10 victory over the No. 9 ranked Clemson Tigers in the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff in the Georgia Dome. Three weeks later Alabama had a convincing 49–14 road-win over Arkansas. The Tide followed that victory with an impressive 41–30 win over the No. 3 ranked Georgia Bulldogs. After the Georgia game, the Tide won consecutive home games against the Kentucky Wildcats and the Ole Miss Rebels and finished the month of October with a 29–9 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville. Following a 35–0 homecoming victory over Arkansas State, the Crimson Tide rose to No. 1 in all major polls in Week 10—following a loss by No. 1 Texas to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. It was the first time since the 1980 season that Alabama held the top spot during the regular season.[36]

text: The Tide took their No. 1 ranking into Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and came out with a 27–21 overtime victory over LSU. With the win, Alabama clinched its first SEC Western Division Championship since 1999 and guaranteed the team a trip to the 2008 SEC championship game. The Tide then improved to 11–0 with a win at home over Mississippi State. To finish the regular season, Bama defeated in-state rival Auburn, 36–0, the largest margin of victory in the series since 1962. It was Alabama's first victory over Auburn since the 2001 season. In the SEC Championship Game, Alabama suffered its first defeat in a 31–20 loss to the SEC Eastern Division Champion Florida Gators (who later won the 2008 BCS Championship), and closed out the season with a 31–17 loss to Utah in the Sugar Bowl[37] to finish the season at 12–2. For his efforts during the season, Saban received several Coach of the Year awards.[38][39][40]

text: 2009 season[edit]

text: No. 5 Alabama began Saban's third year by defeating the No. 7 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, 34–24. The Crimson Tide followed up with wins over Florida International and North Texas. The following week Alabama won its conference opener over Arkansas, 35–7. In its fifth game of the year Alabama beat Kentucky, 38–20. The sixth game of the season featured a hard-fought defensive battle with Bama defeating Ole Miss, 22–3. The seventh game was the same as Alabama defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks, 20–6. The next day, Alabama moved up to No. 1 in the AP poll for the second straight year. The next week Alabama beat Tennessee 12–10, when Terrence Cody blocked Tennessee's game-winning field goal attempt with four seconds left, sealing the victory and improving the team's record to 8–0.[41]

text: After a bye week, Alabama clinched its second straight SEC West Division Championship by knocking off LSU, 24–15. The next week Alabama defeated Mississippi State, 31–3, securing the second straight 10-win season for Alabama. Following a 45–0 blowout of Chattanooga, on Black Friday, Alabama came from behind to defeat Gene Chizik's Auburn Tigers, 26–21, marking the first time since 1973–1974 Alabama had finished the regular season undefeated in consecutive years, and the first consecutive 12-win seasons. The Crimson Tide defeated the Florida Gators in the SEC Championship, 32–13, in a rematch of the previous year's championship game. The championship represented Alabama's 22nd SEC title and its first since 1999. Saban's Crimson Tide ended the season with a 37–21 victory over the Texas Longhorns in the National Championship to finish a perfect 14–0. The win secured Saban's second national championship and Alabama's 13th, and its first in the BCS era. Following the victory over the Longhorns, the University of Alabama announced that it would unveil a statue of Saban in the week prior to the kickoff of the 2010 season. On April 16, 2011, a life-sized bronzed statue of Saban was unveiled at the 2011 A-Day spring game, making him Alabama's fifth coach to be immortalized outside the north end zone of Bryant–Denny Stadium.

text: 2010 season[edit]

text: At the start of his fourth season, Alabama was overwhelmingly chosen as the preseason No. 1 team in both the AP and Coaches Poll. It was the first time since 1978 that the Crimson Tide started the season ranked N. 1.[42] In the season opener in front a record crowd of 101,821, Alabama defeated San Jose State, 48–3. The following week, the Tide defeated Joe Paterno and the #23 Penn State 24–3 in their first meeting since 1990. The next week against Duke, Mark Ingram made his first start of the 2010 season leading Alabama to a 62–13 victory.[43] The next week Alabama overcame a 20–7 deficit to win its conference opener against #10 Arkansas, 24–20.[44] On October 2, Alabama defeated #7 Florida 31–6. The following week Alabama lost to #19 South Carolina 35–21, snapping a 19-game win streak (29 in regular season).[45]

text: Alabama bounced back with a 23–10 win over Ole Miss, and followed that up with a 41–10 victory over Tennessee. After a bye week, Alabama suffered its second loss of the season, losing to #10 LSU, 24–21. The following week, Alabama bounced back at home defeating #17 Mississippi State, 30–10. The game marked the 800th victory for the University of Alabama's football program. The following week Alabama defeated Georgia State 63–7, the most points for Alabama since 1979.[46] In the Iron Bowl, Alabama lost to in-state rival (and eventual BCS champions) #2 Auburn 28–27, snapping a 20-game home winning streak. In winning the game, Auburn overcame a 24–0 second quarter Alabama lead, thus marking the largest deficit any team had overcome to defeat the Crimson Tide in its football program's history. Alabama was selected to play in the 2011 Capital One Bowl and in their first ever meeting, Alabama defeated #7 Michigan State 49–7 in the largest margin of victory in that bowl game's history. The bowl victory brought Alabama to 10–3 on the season and secured Alabama's third consecutive 10-win season.[47]

text: 2011 season[edit]

text: At the start of his fifth season, Alabama came into the season ranked No. 2 in the country. In the first game of the season, Alabama defeated Saban's alma mater Kent State 48–7. The next week, Alabama traveled to Penn State for the first time since 1989 and defeated Joe Paterno and #23 Nittany Lions 27–11. Alabama recorded its first shutout of the season by defeating North Texas 41–0. In the conference opener, Alabama defeated #12 Arkansas 38–14. The next week Alabama traveled to The Swamp and defeated the 12th-ranked Florida Gators 38–10. The following week at homecoming, Alabama shut out Vanderbilt, defeating them 34–0. Alabama then traveled to Oxford and destroyed Ole Miss 52–7. In week 8, Alabama defeated their rival Tennessee 37–6 by scoring 31 unanswered points in the second half. After a bye week, Alabama played host to #1 LSU, losing in overtime 9–6. This was the first time in SEC history that two conference teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the polls played each other during the regular season.[citation needed]

text:
Alabama rebounded the next week after struggling in the first half, with a win over Mississippi State 24–7. The next week, Alabama defeated FCS 3rd ranked Georgia Southern 45–21 on Senior Day. This win gave Saban his fourth consecutive 10-win season, tying Bear Bryant from 1977–80. In the Iron Bowl, Alabama defeated Auburn 42–14. This was Saban's third win over the Tigers in four years. On December 4, Alabama was selected to face LSU in the BCS National Championship Game by finishing No. 2 in the final BCS rankings, the first time in college football history that two teams from the same conference (much less the same division of the same conference) played each other for the BCS Championship. In the rematch, Alabama defeated the Tigers 21–0 with a dominating defensive performance, improving Saban's record to 3–3 against Les Miles and his former employer, LSU.[48]
The win secured Saban his third BCS Championship, his second with Alabama, and the 14th National Championship for the Alabama football team. He is the only coach in college football to win three BCS Championships and the first coach since Nebraska's Tom Osborne to win three National Championships.

text: 2012 season[edit]

text: At the start of his sixth season, Alabama came into the season ranked No. 2 in both preseason polls for the second consecutive year. Alabama opened the season at Cowboys Stadium against #8 Michigan in the first meeting between the schools since the 2000 Orange Bowl with Alabama winning 41–14. The next week, Alabama moved up to No. 1 in both polls, marking the fifth consecutive year the Tide have reached the top spot. A few days later, Alabama shut out Western Kentucky 35–0. Alabama opened up conference play the next week by routing Arkansas 52–0 in their sixth consecutive win over the Razorbacks. In week 4, Alabama defeated Florida Atlantic 40–7, giving Saban his 150th win. The next week, the Tide defeated Ole Miss 33–14. Following a bye week, Alabama traveled to Columbia, Missouri for the first time since 1978 and defeated the Missouri Tigers 42–10 in their first meeting as conference opponents. The next week Alabama defeated their rival Tennessee 44–13 for the sixth consecutive year. On homecoming, Alabama beat undefeated #13 Mississippi State 38–7.

text: In a rematch of the 2012 BCS National Championship Game, Alabama overcame a late deficit with less than a minute remaining to defeat #5 LSU 21–17. The next week, Alabama suffered their first loss of the season to new conference member #15 Texas A&M 29–24. Alabama rebounded the following week recording its third shutout of the season defeating Western Carolina 49–0. The win secured Alabama's fifth consecutive 10-win season, tying the longest streak from 1971 to 1975. In the Iron Bowl, Alabama defeated Auburn 49–0 to secure its third SEC Western Division Championship under Saban. It is the second biggest margin of victory in the rivalry's history and first shutout since 2008. It is Alabama's fourth shutout of the season (second time back-to-back) and second year in a row the Tide finish the regular season 11–1. In the SEC Championship, Alabama overcame a late drive by #3 Georgia to defeat the Bulldogs 32–28 winning the schools 23rd conference title. The 2012 title was Alabama's first conference championship since 2009 and Saban's fourth overall (2nd with Alabama). The win also clinched a spot in a BCS bowl game for the fourth time in five years. On December 2, Alabama finished second in the final BCS rankings for the second consecutive season. On January 7, 2013, No. 2 Alabama faced #1 Notre Dame in the first meeting between the schools since 1987, defeating the Irish 42–14 in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. The win gave Alabama their 15th national championship and their third championship in four years. Alabama won back-to-back national titles for the first time since 1978 and 1979. The title was Saban's fourth national championship and his third with the Crimson Tide, tying him with Wallace Wade for second all-time at Alabama.

text: 2013 season[edit]

text: As the 2013 campaign began, Saban's Crimson Tide was ranked No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches preseason polls for the first time since 2010. In the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game,  Alabama defeated Virginia Tech 35–10 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Following a bye week, Alabama traveled to College Station, Texas to pick up its first conference win, defeating #6 Texas A&M, 49–42, in a wild shootout that Alabama had lost the year before. The Crimson Tide then went on to defeat Colorado State, which was coached by Alabama's former offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, 31–6. #21 Ole Miss Rebels was next up for Alabama, which shut out the Rebels 25–0 for its tenth straight win in the series. The following week saw Alabama beat Georgia State 45–3. Alabama then went on the road and defeated Kentucky 48–7. And for the second straight year Alabama defeated Arkansas 52–0. In the Third Saturday in October, The Tide defeated Tennessee 45–10 to win its seventh consecutive game over the Vols. Following their second bye week, Alabama took on #10 LSU and Saban improved his record to 5–3 against the Tigers, as Alabama won 38–17. The Crimson Tide then defeated Mississippi State 20–7 in a defensive bout. The win gave Alabama its sixth straight ten-win season, the longest in school history. On Senior day, the Tide knocked off FCS opponent Chattanooga 49–0.

text: Up next was the Iron Bowl, which was hosted by #4 Auburn in a matchup between top five teams. The game was tied 28–28 with only a single second remaining in regulation, as Alabama and Auburn appeared headed for overtime. Extra time wasn't necessary, however, as Saban decided to attempt a 56-yard field goal instead of either running out the clock or attempting a Hail Mary from Auburn's 39-yard line. The decision proved costly, as the field goal was short but caught nine yards deep in the Auburn end zone by the Tigers' Chris Davis, who returned the failed attempt 109 yards for a touchdown as time expired. The 28–34 loss knocked Alabama out of contention for the SEC Championship and dashed The Tide's hope for a national championship. Alabama finished the regular season 11–1 for the third consecutive year and clinched a share with Auburn of the SEC West Division title. At the end of the regular season, Alabama finished ranked No. 3 in the final BCS rankings and earned an at-large bid to the 2014 Sugar Bowl. Alabama accepted an invitation to play in its third straight BCS bowl game and fifth in Saban's seven seasons at Alabama. In the Sugar Bowl, Alabama lost to #11 Oklahoma 45–31. This was Saban's second bowl loss at Alabama and first since the 2009 Sugar Bowl against Utah. The Tide finished the season at 11–2.

text: 2014 season[edit]

text: Starting in his eighth season, Alabama began the year ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP and Coaches Poll for the third time in four years. It was the fifth straight season the Crimson Tide started the year in the top two and the seventh consecutive year in the top five. In the season opener, Alabama improved to 4–0 in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game beating West Virginia 33–23 in the first meeting between the two schools. The Tide won their home opener the next week over Florida Atlantic 41–0 after the game was called in the fourth quarter due to lightning. The following week they defeated Southern Miss 52–12. In their conference opener, Alabama put up 645 yards of offense beating Florida 42–21. Following a bye week Alabama was voted No. 1 in the Coaches Poll marking the seventh consecutive season Alabama has reached the top spot. Alabama suffered their first loss of the season losing to #11 Ole Miss 23–17 which ended a 10-game win streak against the Rebels. In Saban's 100th game with the Tide, Alabama bounced back, narrowly defeating Arkansas 14–13 for its eighth consecutive victory in the series. The next week the Tide dominated #21 Texas A&M shutting them out 59–0 which is the 4th largest victory in school history. In their annual rivalry with Tennessee, Alabama won their eighth straight over the Vols 34–20. After a second bye week, Alabama traveled to Baton Rouge to play #14 LSU. After a late field goal, Alabama sent the game into overtime defeating the Tigers 20–13. In a matchup of top five teams, Alabama defeated #1 Mississippi State 25–20 marking the first time Alabama has defeated an AP No. 1 team at home. Alabama then defeated FCS opponent Western Carolina 48–14. The win secured Alabama its seventh consecutive ten-win season. In the Iron Bowl, Alabama avenged their only regular season loss of last season defeating their in state rival #15 Auburn 55–44, the most points scored in the rivalry's history. The Tide finished the regular season 11–1 for the 4th straight season and won the SEC West. It was Saban's 5th division title at Alabama (8th overall for his career). In the 2014 SEC Championship Game, Saban won his 5th SEC title (3rd with Alabama) defeating #14 Missouri 42–13. It was Alabama's 24th SEC championship and first since 2012.  Alabama was selected for the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed and played the No. 4 seed Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, losing 42–35. The loss was Saban's third in Sugar Bowls at Alabama. The Tide finished the season at 12–2.

text: 2015 season[edit]

text: Starting in his ninth season, Saban and Alabama began the year ranked No. 3 in the preseason AP and Coaches Poll marking the eighth straight year the Tide began the season in the top five. It is their lowest preseason ranking since 2009. In the season opener against #20 Wisconsin, Alabama won, 35–17, in Arlington, Texas. In the home opener, the Tide defeated Middle Tennessee, 37–10. In the conference opener, Alabama lost a back and forth struggle to #15 Ole Miss, 43–37. The following week Alabama bounced back with a 34–0 win over Louisiana Monroe.  The Tide picked up a conference win dominating #8 Georgia, 38–10. Alabama then defeated Arkansas 27–14 for its ninth consecutive win in the series. The following week behind a strong defensive performance, the Tide beat #9 Texas A&M 41–23. In the annual Third Saturday in October meeting, the Tide narrowly defeated Tennessee 19–14 to win its ninth consecutive in the rivalry. After the bye week, Alabama hosted #2 LSU in a matchup of top five teams winning 30–16. It was Saban's fifth consecutive win the series. The Tide then beat #20 Mississippi State, 31–6, for the eighth straight year. Alabama then defeated FCS opponent Charleston Southern, 56–6, to secure Saban's 8th consecutive 10 win season. In the Iron Bowl, Alabama defeated in-state rival Auburn, 29–13, to secure a fourth straight West Division Championship and sixth for Saban at Alabama. The Tide also finished the regular season 11–1 for the fifth straight season. In the SEC Championship, Saban secured his sixth conference title when the Tide defeated #18 Florida 29–15. It's Alabama's 25th conference championship, 2nd consecutive title and third in four years. Alabama for the second straight year was selected to the College Football Playoff and represented as the #2 seed. On December 12, running back Derrick Henry became Saban's second player to win the Heisman Trophy. Saban joined Bob Stoops as the only active coaches to have multiple Heisman winners. In the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl, Alabama shutout the #3 seed Michigan State, 38–0. The win was Alabama's first in the College Football Playoff and marked Alabama's first appearance in a national championship game since the 2012 season. Alabama went on to defeat unbeaten #1 Clemson, 45–40, to win the College Football Playoff National Championship.  The victory marked Alabama's 16th national title and fourth in seven seasons. It was Saban's fifth national title and fourth at Alabama. The Tide finished the season at 14–1.

text: 2016 season[edit]

text: Alabama came into Saban's tenth season ranked #1 in the AP and Coaches poll. 2016 was the ninth consecutive year Alabama has been #1 during the season. In the first meeting since the 1985 Aloha Bowl, Alabama dominated traditional power #20 USC, 52–6, in the Advocare Classic at Arlington, Texas. In the home opener, the Tide took down Western Kentucky, 38–10. In the conference opener, Alabama avenged their last two regular season losses, defeating #19 Ole Miss 48–43. The next week Saban took on his alma mater Kent State with a 48–0 shutout. On homecoming, Alabama defeated Kentucky 34–6. The next week Saban picked up his 10th consecutive victory over Arkansas winning 49–30. In the annual Third Saturday in October, Alabama dominated #9 Tennessee 49–10, to win its 10th in a row over the Vols. In their second straight game versus a top 10 opponent, Alabama defeated #6 Texas A&M 33–14. After a bye week, the Tide went to Baton Rouge to face #15 LSU. In a defensive slugfest, Alabama shut out the Tigers 10–0. The win gave Saban his 200th win as a college head coach. The win was also Alabama's sixth in a row over LSU and the first shutout over them since the 2012 BCS National Championship Game. The following week Alabama defeated Mississippi State 51–3. The win gave Saban his ninth consecutive season winning 10 or more games. With a win by Georgia over #9 Auburn, the Tide secured their fifth consecutive SEC West Division Championship, seventh for Saban at Alabama, and 10th overall for his career. The next week the Tide defeated FCS opponent Chattanooga 31–3. In the Iron Bowl, Saban secured an undefeated regular season by defeating in-state rival #16 Auburn 30–12. This is Alabama's third straight win over the Tigers, the first time since 1990–1992. Alabama finished its regular season 12–0 for the third time in Saban's career at Alabama and first since 2009. In the SEC Championship, Alabama defeated #15 Florida in a rematch of last season's title game 54–16. The win gave Alabama its 26th SEC title, 5th for Saban at Alabama and 7th overall for his career. Alabama has won three straight conference championships for the first time since 1977–1979 and first three-peat since the championship game was added in 1992. Alabama made the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive year and came in as the #1 seed for the second time. The Tide was selected to play in the Peach Bowl against the #4 seed Washington Huskies. In the first meeting with the Huskies since the 1986 Sun Bowl, Alabama won 24–7. In a rematch of last season's National Championship game, Alabama fell short to #2 Clemson 35–31 when the Tigers scored on a game-winning touchdown pass with 1 second left on the clock. Alabama failed to recover Clemson's onside kick and time ran out. The loss snapped Alabama's 26-game winning streak and was Saban's first loss in a title game. The Tide finished the season at 14–1.

text: 2017 season[edit]

text: In his 11th season, Alabama started the season #1 in both the AP and Coaches poll for the second consecutive year. This is the 10th season in a row that Alabama was #1 at a point during the season and 4th time to start the season under Saban. In the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in a matchup of top 3 teams, Alabama beat #3 Florida State 24–7. Alabama improved to 5–0 in Chick-fil-A games and Saban improved to 11–0 against former assistant coaches. In the home opener, the Tide defeated Fresno State 41–10. The next week Alabama defeated Colorado State 41–23. In the conference opener, the Tide dominated Vanderbilt 59–0. The following week, Alabama manhandled Ole Miss 66–3, the most points in a game since 1979. The next week, Alabama went on the road and defeated Texas A&M 27–19. The next week, the Tide defeated Arkansas 41–9 for the 11th win in a row in the series. In the annual Third Saturday in October, the Tide defeated Tennessee 45–7. The win is the 11th consecutive victory over the Vols, tying the record set back from 1971–1981. Following the bye week, Alabama won its seventh consecutive game over rival #19 LSU 24–10. Alabama then traveled to Starkville and escaped with a 31-24 win over #18 Mississippi State. The win secured Saban's 10th consecutive season with 10 or more wins. On Senior Day, Alabama dominated FCS opponent Mercer 56-0. The win gave Saban's senior class its 51st win, tying the NCAA record. In the Iron Bowl, the Tide suffered its first loss of the season to in state rival #6 Auburn 26-14. Alabama wins a share of the SEC Western division title, their 6th in a row. They finish the regular season 11-1. On December 3, Alabama was selected to the College Football Playoff for the 4th consecutive year. They were chosen as the #4 seed and played the #1 seed Clemson Tigers at the Sugar Bowl. In the rematch of the previous two National Championship games, Alabama avenged last season's only loss to Clemson winning 24-6. The win gave Saban his first Sugar Bowl victory as Alabama's coach, ending a 3-game losing streak in the bowl. The win secured Saban his third consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoff Championship game. It also gave Saban's Senior class an NCAA record 52nd win. Alabama took on the #3 seed Georgia Bulldogs in the 2nd ever National Championship game between SEC schools. In overtime, backup quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw the game winning touchdown pass to Devonta Smith for a 26-23 victory. This is Alabama's 17th National Championship and fifth title in nine seasons. Saban tied Coach Paul W. Bryant with six National Championships for most all time in the poll era. The Tide finished the season 13-1.

text: 2018 season[edit]

text: In this twelfth season, Alabama started the season ranked #1 in the AP and coaches poll for the third consecutive year. In the Camping World Kickoff in Orlando, FL, the Tide defeated Louisville 51-14.[49] In the home opener, the Tide dominated Arkansas State 57-7.[50] In their conference opener against Ole Miss, the Crimson Tide won 62-7. [51] The Tide then defeated Jimbo Fisher and #22 Texas A&M 45-23. The following week, Alabama beat Louisiana 56-14. Alabama then went to Fayetteville and defeated Arkansas 65-31 for its 12th consecutive victory over the Hogs. On homecoming, the Tide defeated Missouri 39-10. In the Third Saturday in October, Alabama defeated rival Tennessee 58-21. It's the longest winning streak against the Vols with 12 wins and most points scored against them.

text: Personal life[edit]

text: He is a devout Roman Catholic who attends Mass before games.[52] The Sabans attend St. Francis of Assisi University Parish In Tuscaloosa.[53] St. Francis' Parish priest, Father Gerald Holloway, served as a chaplain for the football team before he was transferred.[54] Saban owns a vacation home on Lake Burton in northeast Georgia.

text: Saban is of Croatian origin.[55] Bill Belichick and Saban are good friends. When Belichick spoke about their relationship, he said: "Two successful Croats in the same division of NFL. You must admit, you don't see that every day."[56]

text: Saban shares his last name with another famous football coach, Lou Saban. They were called "distant cousins" in a 2005 article where Lou comments on the younger Saban's success.[57] Upon the death of Lou Saban, his widow Joyce Saban said the two men might have been second cousins,[58] but their families say they are not related.

text: Saban made a cameo appearance as himself in the movie The Blind Side. In August 2010, the movie Nick Saban: Gamechanger was released. Included in the film are interviews from Belichick and Alabama athletic director Mal Moore, among others.

text: Saban and his wife Terry are the co-founders of the foundation Nick's Kids. This foundation has been used by the Sabans to help mentally challenged children ever since Saban started head coaching. In the first three years at Alabama, Nick's Kids raised more than US$1 million.[59]

text: Political endorsements[edit]

text: In October, 2018, Saban appeared in an ad endorsing the incumbent Senate candidate from West Virginia, Joe Manchin, stating that they grew up together. [60]

text: Coaching tree[edit]

text: Saban is from the Don James coaching tree.  After finishing his degree at Kent State University in 1972 Coach James convinced Saban to join the Kent State coaching staff as a graduate assistant.  Saban's coaching career also encompasses the Bill Belichick coaching tree, having worked as his defensive coordinator during Belichick's tenure as head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

text: Saban has had many assistants who have gone on to become head coaches:

text:
Bobby Williams: Michigan State (1999–2002)
Mark Dantonio: Cincinnati (2004–2006), Michigan State (2007–present)
Derek Dooley: Louisiana Tech (2007–2009), Tennessee (2010–2012)
Lane Kiffin: Oakland Raiders (2007-2008), Tennessee (2009), USC (2010-2013), FAU (2016–present)
Mike Haywood: Miami (OH) (2009–2010), Texas Southern (2016–present)
Jimbo Fisher: Florida State (2010–2017), Texas A&M (2018–present)
Jason Garrett: Dallas Cowboys (2011–present) [61]
Will Muschamp: Florida (2011–2014), South Carolina (2016–present)
Jim McElwain: Colorado State (2012–2014), Florida (2015–2017)
Dan Quinn: Atlanta Falcons (2015–present)
Adam Gase: Miami Dolphins (2016–present)
Kirby Smart: Georgia (2016–present)[62][63]
Major Applewhite: Houston (2016–present)[64]
Mario Cristobal: FIU (2007-2012) Oregon (2017–present)
Jeremy Pruitt: Tennessee (2018–present)[65]
Billy Napier: Louisiana (2018–present)

tag: ul

text: Head coaching record[edit]

text: College[edit]

text:
Year

Team

Overall

Conference
Standing

Bowl/playoffs

Coaches#

AP°

Toledo Rockets (Mid-American Conference) (1990)

1990

Toledo

9–2
7–1
T–1st

Toledo:

9–2
7–1

Michigan State Spartans (Big Ten Conference) (1995–1999)

1995

Michigan State

6–5–1
4–3–1
5th
L Independence

1996

Michigan State

6–6
5–3
5th
L Sun

1997

Michigan State

7–5
4–4
6th
L Aloha

1998

Michigan State

6–6
4–4
6th

1999

Michigan State

9–2[n 2]
6–2
T–2nd
Florida Citrus[n 2]
9[n 2]
9[n 2]

Michigan State:

34–24–1
23–16–1

LSU Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (2000–2004)

2000

LSU

8–4
5–3
3rd (Western)
W Peach

22

2001

LSU

10–3
5–3
1st (Western)
W Sugar†
8
7

2002

LSU

8–5
5–3
T–2nd (Western)[n 3]
L Cotton

2003

LSU

13–1
7–1
1st (Western)
W Sugar†
1
2

2004

LSU

9–3
6–2
2nd (Western)
L Capital One
16
16

LSU:

48–16
28–12

Alabama Crimson Tide (Southeastern Conference) (2007–present)

2007

Alabama

2–6[n 1]
1–4[n 1]
T–3rd (Western)
W Independence

2008

Alabama

12–2
8–0
1st (Western)
L Sugar†
6
6

2009

Alabama

14–0
8–0
1st (Western)
W BCS NCG†
1
1

2010

Alabama

10–3
5–3
4th (Western)
W Capital One
11
10

2011

Alabama

12–1
7–1
2nd (Western)
W BCS NCG†
1
1

2012

Alabama

13–1
7–1
1st (Western)
W BCS NCG†
1
1

2013

Alabama

11–2
7–1
T–1st (Western)
L Sugar†
8
7

2014

Alabama

12–2
7–1
1st (Western)
L Sugar†
4
4

2015

Alabama

14–1
7–1
1st (Western)
W Cotton†, W CFP NCG†
1
1

2016

Alabama

14–1
8–0
1st (Western)
W Peach†, L CFP NCG†
2
2

2017

Alabama

13–1
7–1
T–1st (Western)
W Sugar†, W CFP NCG†
1
1

2018

Alabama

8–0
5–0
(Western)

Alabama:

135–20[n 1]
77–13[n 1]

Total:
226–62–1[n 1]

      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

†Indicates BCS or CFP / New Years' Six bowl.
#Rankings from final Coaches Poll.
°Rankings from final AP Poll.

tag: table

text: NFL[edit]

text:
Team
Year
Regular season
Postseason

Won
Lost
Ties
Win %
Finish
Won
Lost
Win %
Result

MIA
2005

9
7
0
.563
2nd in AFC East
–
–
–
–

MIA
2006

6
10
0
.375
4th in AFC East
–
–
–
–

MIA Total
15
17
0
.469

–
–
–

Total
15
17
0
.469