I’m no Alabama fan, but what Nick Saban did in the National Championship was gutsy—and right. His starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, who has won all but two of his games in two years, was not having a good day. Frankly, he looked ready to lose his third game. So, at halftime, Saban benched his star and sent freshman Tua Tagovailoa into the game.
And won.
Now, Tagovailoa isn’t just any freshman; he was one of the top recruits in the country. The kid can obviously play. He has potential. But he hasn’t had time to develop his talent and—until recently—hadn’t had an opportunity to prove himself, either. Saban took a real risk. If he’d chosen not to take that risk in a championship game, everyone would have understood.
And Alabama may have lost.
In business, too, it’s often the experienced person who gets the opportunity. Sure, new hires can’t learn if they never get to practice, but who wants to use their own company as somebody else’s school room? It’s not an attractive risk—unless you remember Nick Saban.
Take a good look at the inexperienced people on your team. Consider them as individuals. Look at each person’s abilities. Some of them might be more ready than you think they are.
Take a calculated, educated risk on unproven talent, and you just might win the game. Like Alabama did.
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Eric Kasimov is the founder of SportsEpreneur, part of the KazSource media network. Since launching the platform in 2015, he has hosted over 500 podcast episodes, written and published more than 1,500 articles, and advised business leaders, founders, and creators on building authority through media strategy.
Through his brands — KazSource, KazCM, SportsEpreneur, and QuietLoud Studios — Eric leads teams that produce podcasts, develop brand platforms, and help companies grow through modern content ecosystems. He also scaled KazSource Insurance into a seven-figure boutique agency, providing the foundation for the broader media network he operates today.
His work has been featured in Forbes, Axios, and Front Office Sports, and his podcasts have included conversations with top founders, investors, and athletes turned entrepreneurs.