---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It doesn’t matter what you are ranked…"
description: "\"It doesn’t matter what you are ranked until the end.\" — Nick Saban"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/nick-saban-2879_ends_it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-are-ranked-un_1802436.jpg"
---

#  It doesn’t matter what you are ranked until the end.

![“It doesn’t matter what you are ranked until the end.” quote by Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/nick-saban-2879_ends_it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-are-ranked-un_1802436.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/nick-saban-2879_ends_it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-are-ranked-un_1802436.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/nick-saban-2879_ends_it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-are-ranked-un_1802436.jpg)

> “It doesn’t matter what you are ranked until the end.”

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Final outcomes matter more than interim rankings; perseverance and growth are key.

**In simple terms:** End results outweigh rankings.

Key Takeaway

Focus on long‑term goals, not temporary standings.

Themes

sports perseverance growth

Mood

motivational strategic

Type

coaching inspirational

When to use this quote

- team building
- season planning
- personal development

Key Concepts

Performance metrics goal setting

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you stay motivated despite rankings?
- What long‑term goals guide you?

A Different Perspective

Rankings can be misleading and cause distraction.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Doesn Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doesn-matter/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Matter Ranked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter-ranked-2043977/) [Ranked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ranked-629756/) [Ranked End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ranked-end-2043976/)

## Related quotes

> [If you want to do something, what does it matter where you are ranked?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalpana-chawla/if-you-want-to-do-something-what-does-it-matter-where-you-are-ranked/)

[Kalpana Chawla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalpana-chawla/)

> [I don't want to fight guys ranked behind me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-gaethje/i-don-t-want-to-fight-guys-ranked-behind-me/)

[Justin Gaethje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-gaethje/)

> [When I was ranked No. 11 or 12, they offered me Gustafsson who was the No. 1 contender, and I didn't hesitate. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-manuwa/when-i-was-ranked-no-11-or-12-they-offered-me-gustafsson-who-was-the/)

[Jimi Manuwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-manuwa/)

> [Having guys ranked in front of me that I know that I'm better than, that's always going to drive me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deandre-hopkins/having-guys-ranked-in-front-of-me-that-i-know-that-i-m-better-than/)

[DeAndre Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deandre-hopkins/)

> [I get the mindset of wanting to work your way up the ladder and fight guys that are ranked, but if you come off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-smith/i-get-the-mindset-of-wanting-to-work-your-way-up-the-ladder-and-fight/)

[Anthony Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-smith/)

> [That's what happens. You knock people out, and then you get people ranked ahead of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-iaquinta/that-s-what-happens-you-knock-people-out-and-then-you-get-people/)

[Al Iaquinta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-iaquinta/)

> [I've beaten the top-ranked girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-pena/i-ve-beaten-the-top-ranked-girls/)

[Julianna Pena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-pena/)

> [There were so many fellows ranked over me I couldn't just whoop them all. I had to out-shadow them by talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-were-so-many-fellows-ranked-over-me-i-couldn-t-just-whoop-them/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [I'm not satisfied with being ranked second and third.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gustafsson/i-m-not-satisfied-with-being-ranked-second-and-third/)

[Alexander Gustafsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gustafsson/)

> [I was obsessed with 'Top Spin' for some reason, and I wanted to be the best in the game. I think at one time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-cage/i-was-obsessed-with-top-spin-for-some-reason-and-i-wanted-to-be-the/)

[Christian Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-cage/)

> [I want these ranked opponents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-volkanovski/i-want-these-ranked-opponents/)

[Alexander Volkanovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-volkanovski/)

> [I just ask all the time for someone ranked. They give me all these people. I smash all of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/islam-makhachev/i-just-ask-all-the-time-for-someone-ranked-they-give-me-all-these/)

[Islam Makhachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/islam-makhachev/)

> [I want to fight anybody ranked above me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-iaquinta/i-want-to-fight-anybody-ranked-above-me/)

[Al Iaquinta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-iaquinta/)

> [I know where I'm ranked, but I don't look at it that much, I don't study it that much. You really can't look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-isner/i-know-where-i-m-ranked-but-i-don-t-look-at-it-that-much-i-don-t/)

[John Isner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-isner/)

> [As someone who played a team sport, I feel a bit uncomfortable being ranked as an individual so high](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-beckenbauer/as-someone-who-played-a-team-sport-i-feel-a-bit-uncomfortable-being/)

[Franz Beckenbauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-beckenbauer/)

## More by Nick Saban

> [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody's got to buy into that standard or you really can't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-create-a-standard-for-how-we-want-to-do-things-and-everybody-s-got/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [What makes Freddy Krueger such a horrible character? What makes him scare you to death? You can't get rid of the guy. He never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/what-makes-freddy-krueger-such-a-horrible-character-what-makes-him/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I said as soon as we had a playoff, we were going to minimize the importance of all the other bowl games. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-said-as-soon-as-we-had-a-playoff-we-were-going-to-minimize-the/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [Our goal is to work against things we have not seen that we will see in the near future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/our-goal-is-to-work-against-things-we-have-not-seen-that-we-will-see/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I've always been able to stay focused on trying to recruit good players and trying to develop those players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-ve-always-been-able-to-stay-focused-on-trying-to-recruit-good/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I think people always assume that every team has great intangibles, and that's not necessarily right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-people-always-assume-that-every-team-has-great-intangibles/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I think there's a certain pride people have in competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-there-s-a-certain-pride-people-have-in-competition/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [Soccer is a continuous game, rugby is a continuous game, but for the physical elements that are involved in playing a football game and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/soccer-is-a-continuous-game-rugby-is-a-continuous-game-but-for-the/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [You can't allow yourself to be vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/you-can-t-allow-yourself-to-be-vulnerable/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/there-are-two-pains-in-life-there-is-the-pain-of-discipline-and-the/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [As a coach, when it comes to football players, we're trying to change their behavior and make them better. As people, we're trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/as-a-coach-when-it-comes-to-football-players-we-re-trying-to-change/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [We're not going to talk about what we're going to accomplish, we're going to talk about how we're going to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-re-not-going-to-talk-about-what-we-re-going-to-accomplish-we-re/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I want what's best for people who want to improve the quality of their life. I hope whoever our leader is will do all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-want-what-s-best-for-people-who-want-to-improve-the-quality-of/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [The thing that concerns me the most is when I hear that people are making a lot of money a lot of ways except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/the-thing-that-concerns-me-the-most-is-when-i-hear-that-people-are/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

[Explore all 147 Nick Saban quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

## More Ends quotes

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [The end is nothing; the road is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-end-is-nothing-the-road-is-all/)

[Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/)

> [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/)

[Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/)

> [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Dating someone on the opposite end of the happy spectrum teaches you an incredible amount of patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/dating-someone-on-the-opposite-end-of-the-happy-spectrum-teaches-you/)

[Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/)

> [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/)

[Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/)

> [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/)

[Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/)

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [At the end of night, before you close your eyes, be content with what you've done and be proud of who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-almond/at-the-end-of-night-before-you-close-your-eyes-be-content-with-what/)

[Steve Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-almond/)

> [it is the brevity of life which makes it tolerable; its experiences have value because they have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/it-is-the-brevity-of-life-which-makes-it-tolerable-its-experiences/)

[Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/)

> [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/)

[Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/)

> [Believe to the end, even if all men went astray and you were left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/believe-to-the-end-even-if-all-men-went-astray-and-you-were-left-the/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [When the amount of change externally exceeds the amount of change internally, the end is in sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/when-the-amount-of-change-externally-exceeds-the-amount-of-change/)

[Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/)

> [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [The beginning of love is all about the butterflies, but the end of it is when you can't get out of bed in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/the-beginning-of-love-is-all-about-the-butterflies-but-the-end-of-it/)

[Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/)

[Browse all 20,790 Ends quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It doesn’t matter what you are ranked until the end.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nick Saban"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-are-ranked-until-the-end/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ends"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-are-ranked-until-the-end/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/nick-saban-2879_ends_it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-are-ranked-un_1802436.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/nick-saban-2879_ends_it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-are-ranked-un_1802436.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/nick-saban-2879_ends_it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-are-ranked-un_1802436.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It doesn’t matter what you are ranked until the end.” — Nick Saban",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Nick Saban",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It doesn’t matter what you are...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-are-ranked-until-the-end/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-are-ranked-until-the-end/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
