The rumors and reports swirling around Nick Saban’s potential coaching return can be put to rest… for now, at least. Saban’s own daughter, Kristen, took to social media Thursday to confirm that her father will not be patrolling the sidelines at any level, be it college or the NFL, any time soon.
Kristen initially posted a video of Saban’s walkout at Alabama with the caption “damn, I miss this,” to her Instagram story. Some Alabama fans apparently interpreted that as a hint at Saban’s return.
That forced a response from Kristen.
“Apparently some of y’all feel trolled by my last story of Nick’s walkout… he’s not coming back to coaching, hate to break it to you,” Kristen wrote. “You had your time.”
Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, who was Saban’s second starter with the Crimson Tide, stoked the fires of a potential Saban return on the first day of SEC Media Days when he said that a “notable” source that was adamant that Saban would return to coaching at some point in the future.
Immediately, despite his conspicuous absence from SEC Media Days, the 74-year-old Saban — now an Emmy Award-winning analyst for ESPN’s “College GameDay” — became the talk of the town in Atlanta.
Let’s say Nick Saban does coach again: These college football teams would be best fits for the GOAT’s return
Tom Fornelli
Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who was Saban’s defensive mastermind for eight seasons, was skeptical about Saban’s desire to coach again when asked about it at SEC Media Days.
“I don’t think Nick’s coming back,” Smart told reporters. “I think he’s too happy where he is. I think y’all were lacking buzz and they needed some buzz yesterday… I talk to Nick pretty regularly, and I don’t see it. It’s one of those things that if he wanted to, he’d be unbelievable at it.”
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, a former offensive coordinator for Saban at Alabama, said he wouldn’t be surprised.
“I kind of always thought that was going to happen. I kind of thought it would happen after one year,” Kiffin said. “And I say that just because even seeing recent stuff with him and talking to him on the phone — I have no knowledge that he’s coming back. I don’t think anybody does. I just, he’s so sharp still. I almost feel like it’s a waste that he’s not. No disrespect to the media and what you guys do, but his ability to coach players and change lives and he’s so good at it, I just think he’ll be back, whether it’s NFL or college.”
Saban, of course, won seven national championships as a college head coach — six at Alabama and one at LSU. Across stops at Alabama, LSU, Michigan State and Toledo, Saban amassed a 292-71-1 record before retiring after the 2023 season. After Saban stepped down, Alabama hired Kalen DeBoer from Washington.
Read the full article here
