Former Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban has implied that he’s not returning to coaching. His verbiage leaves the door open for skepticism, however.
Saban said last month that “there is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching.” The “that I know of right now” part, plus the “enhance me” bit, caused doubt for Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
Florio questioned Saban being bothered by the hysteria surrounding his potential return to the sidelines.
Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts to a play during the second quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 02, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
“…why is he surprised that people are speculating about his potential return to coaching? His history of mystery and periodic hopscotching gives people reason to wonder what he’s really up to,” Florio wrote.
“And the implication that he could become aware of an “opportunity . . . that would enhance me to go back to coaching” serves only to entrance those who like the idea of Saban finding another college program where he can stack the deck with enough players to help him win another championship.”
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Saban left the Crimson Tide in January 2024 after numerous complaints about NIL in college football. In truth, the University of Alabama couldn’t compete in the new landscape financially, falling way behind major spenders in the Big Ten and the state of Texas.
Would going to a school with spending power “enhance” Saban’s willingness to return? That’s an eight-figure question to answer, possibly a nine-figure one.
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What about the NFL? Perhaps finishing what he started after his Miami Dolphins career crashed and burn after a promising start could satisfy his competitive desire.
What’s the point, though?
Saban has a nice gig as an advisor Kalen DeBoer’s program. He gets all the credit just by speaking to recruits and has endless Crimson Tide fans celebrating him when Alabama loses.
In the end, Saban may just be okay with going down as the greatest college football coach in the pre-NIL era, whose return will always be a hot topic even if he never plans on actually unretiring.