The University of Alabama (UA) has finalized and approved its contract extension for Nick Saban, head football coach of the Crimson Tide, affirming him as the highest paid in the game.

According to ESPN, Saban will make a base salary of $6.5 million per year, the best in the NCAA, but perhaps fitting for a coach who has won four National Championships, three with Alabama. Saban took over the program in 2007 and has recorded 74 wins against 15 losses with the Tide since.

Saban agreed to the contract extension in principle about six months ago and it will last until Jan. 21, 2022. With a $400,000 completion bonus per year, the total value of the contract comes to $55.2 million.

"We are honored by the commitment the University of Alabama has made to us with this new contract." Saban in an official announcement on the Tide's website. "It is certainly a mutual agreement in terms of our commitment to the University of Alabama. We will continue to work hard to keep our football program among the nation's elite. My passion has always been to develop young men to their full potential as student-athletes. We've had great success in that area at Alabama and I'm appreciative of all the support and the resources we receive from the administration in order to make that happen."

ESPN also reported the UA compensation committee also finalized contracts of several other coaches on Saban's staff. Among them are Kirby Smart, defensive coordinator, who will make $1.7 million a year through Feb. 2017, and newly hired offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, who will earn about $700,000 for the next three years.

"We are pleased to announce that Coach Saban's contract extension has been approved and that he'll be our head football coach for many years to come," UA athletic director Bill Battle said in the announcement. "He is the best coach in the country and he's brought Alabama back to the pinnacle of college football. His success on the field is obviously second to none, but Coach Saban's influence on academics and all the other areas of our athletic programs are equally impressive to me."

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