By David Sher

Nick Saban likely never met Frank Stitt on a field or in a kitchen together, but they share something profound: both men fundamentally transformed their domains and elevated Birmingham and Alabama in the eyes of the nation.

One revolutionized how America sees Birmingham and food. The other revolutionized how America sees Alabama football. Their parallel stories reveal the power of vision, mentorship, and uncompromising excellence.

The Visionaries

When Frank Stitt opened Highlands Bar & Grill in 1982, Birmingham had no culinary identity. When Nick Saban took over Alabama in 2007, the Crimson Tide was a program in decline, struggling in the SEC West. Both inherited situations that seemed impossible to transform.

Stitt believed in Birmingham and that Southern ingredients deserved reverence equal to French haute cuisine. Saban believed Alabama could compete for national championships year after year. Both were radically optimistic about what their institutions could achieve. And both were right.

Frank Stitt’s Impact on Birmingham:

Stitt won the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Southeast award in 2001. He received the Southern Foodways Alliance’s Craig Claiborne Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. But his crowning achievement came in 2018 when Highlands Bar & Grill won the James Beard Outstanding Restaurant award—the highest honor in American dining, declaring it the best restaurant in the nation.

That same night, his pastry chef, Dolester Miles, won Outstanding Pastry Chef. Birmingham took home two of the most prestigious culinary awards in a single evening.

Today, Birmingham is regularly recognized as one of America’s top food cities. The transformation is undeniable: a once-overlooked Southern city became a culinary destination that national publications feature and food writers pilgrimage to.

Nick Saban’s Impact on Alabama:

Saban won six national championships at Alabama (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020). His Alabama teams won 9 SEC championships and produced consistently dominant seasons for 17 consecutive years.

He transformed Alabama into a program that competed at the highest level every single season, developing a standard of excellence that made losing feel like failure.

But Saban’s impact extends beyond wins. He changed Alabama’s national perception—from a proud but troubled program into a perennial powerhouse that set the standard for college football.

The Mentorship Model

What makes both legacies extraordinary isn’t just their individual success. It’s what they built through mentorship.

The Stitt Effect:

Frank and his wife, Pardis, mentored dozens of chefs, restaurateurs, and hospitality professionals. Those protégés didn’t just work for them—they learned a philosophy: source impeccable ingredients, maintain unwavering standards, treat hospitality as an art form.

When they left to open their own restaurants, they carried those principles with them. Today, Birmingham’s thriving restaurant scene includes establishments opened by Stitt and his former employees:

• Bottega Restaurant (Frank and Pardis Stitt)
• Chez Fonfon (Frank and Pardis Stitt)
• Hot & Hot Fish Club (Chris Hastings)
• Ovenbird (Chris Hastings)
• Brick & Tin (Mauricio Papapietro)
• Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen (Erin and Brian Mooney)
• Slim’s Pizzeria (John Rolen)
• Big Spoon Creamery (Ryan and Geri-Martha O’Hara)
• Pizza Grace (Ryan and Geri-Martha O’Hara)
• Salud (Jesús Méndez)
• Local 39 (Jonathan Sealy)
• El Barrio (Brian Somershield)
• Paramount (Brian Somershield)
• Blueprint on 3rd (Dean Robb)
• Le Fresca (Marco Butturini)
• Bygones Cocktail Bar (Phillip Crowe)

The Saban Effect:

Similarly, Saban’s assistant coaches and coordinators didn’t just work for him—they absorbed his philosophy of discipline, precision, and sustained excellence. Those assistants became head coaches, spreading Saban’s winning culture across college football:

• Kirby Smart (Georgia Head Coach)
• Steve Sarkisian (Texas Head Coach)
• Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss Head Coach)
• Dan Lanning (Oregon Head Coach)
• Curt Cignetti (Indiana Head Coach)
• Brent Key (Georgia Tech Head Coach)
• Mario Cristobal (Miami Head Coach)
• Alex Mortensen (Interim Head Coach UAB)
• Jimbo Fisher (Former Florida State and Texas A&M Head Coach)
• Mel Tucker (Former Michigan State and Colorado Head Coach)
• Will Muschamp (Former Florida and South Carolina Head Coach)
• Jim McElwain (Former Florida and Central Michigan Head Coach)
• Billy Napier (Former Florida and Louisiana Head Coach)

The Parallel Legacy

Both Stitt and Saban understood something essential: greatness doesn’t end with one person. It multiplies through mentorship. Stitt didn’t just create great dishes—he created great restaurateurs. Saban didn’t just win championships—he created head coaches.

Alabama excellence

What connects Frank Stitt and Nick Saban is this: they didn’t just succeed in their own arenas. They raised the bar for everyone who came after them. They proved that Alabama could produce world-class excellence—whether on the plate or on the field. They created legacies not measured in individual accolades, but in the generations of excellence they inspired.

Frank Stitt woke Birmingham up. Nick Saban made Alabama the standard by which all others are measured. Both are Alabama treasures who changed the nation’s perception of what this state could achieve.

David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown.  He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).

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Invite David to speak for free to your group about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. dsher@comebacktown.com