The Thunderbirds – hosts of the WM Phoenix Open – announced today seven-time NCAA Football National Champion coach Nick Saban will be the featured guest for the WM Phoenix Open Tee-Off Luncheon on Wednesday, Dec. 4, on the diamond at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix.
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Tickets are $350 per person or $3,000 for a table of 10 and can be purchased online at https://www.axs.com/festivals/683090.
“The Tee-Off Luncheon is our signature event where we officially kick off Open season and tell our WM Phoenix Open community about what’s in store for the upcoming year,” said Tournament Chairman Matt Mooney. “We are honored to welcome legendary coach Nick Saban to the stage, where he will not only reflect on his extraordinary coaching journey but also share insights from his personal experience playing in last year’s Annexus Pro-Am and Shot at Glory.”
Widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in the history of college football, Saban has built an illustrious career defined by unmatched success and consistency. He served as the head football coach at the University of Alabama from 2007 to 2023. He also was head coach of the Miami Dolphins and at three other universities – Louisiana State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Toledo. His seven national titles as a head coach are the most in college football history.
Coach Saban’s first national title came when he led the LSU Tigers to the BCS National Championship in 2003. He then coached the Alabama Crimson Tide to BCS and AP national championships in 2009, 2011, 2012, and to College Football Playoff championships in 2015, 2017 and 2020. He became the first coach in college football history to win a national championship with two different Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools since the inception of the AP Poll in 1936. Saban and Bear Bryant are the only coaches to win an SEC championship at two different schools. Saban’s career record as a college head coach is 292–71–1.
As of this year, Saban turned the page from coaching and is now part of ESPN’s “College GameDay” crew for the 2024 season. He made his first-ever appearance at “The People’s Open” last year in the 2024 Annexus Pro-Am and even participated in the WHOOP Shot at Glory at the iconic 16th hole.
The 2025 WM Phoenix Open will take place Feb. 3-9 at TPC Scottsdale. “The People’s Open” has been named the Tournament of the Year by the PGA TOUR five times to acknowledge the tournament’s legendary status as one the most unique events in golf. The 2025 edition will mark the 90th playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the 16th with WM as title sponsor. For more information visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.
The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 280 “life” members who have helped the tournament eclipse $208 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932 (through the 2024 tournament). For more information on The Thunderbirds or the 2025 WM Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.
