Nick Saban’s wife makes decision on a college football coaching return

Even a legendary head coach knows who the head decider is and Nick Saban is clear. If anyone doubted that, a brief segment on College GameDay set the record straight. Terry Saban is not quite as famous in college football circles as her championship winning husband, but if anybody doubted her role, the sound of her slamming the door on a return to college coaching was loud and clear.

During the rapid-fire question segment of College GameDay, a question arose as to the next Penn State coach. Saban was teased by his fellow personalities, asking him about $50 million a year. CGD then quickly cut to Terry Saban, on hand in the audience to gauge her reaction to a possible coaching return.

I have no doubt if Nick wanted to go back to coaching, he could win his eighth national championship. But we’re having too much fun, and we wouldn’t want to take that opportunity away from all of our baby coaches, like Kirby [Smart] and Lane [Kiffin].

– Terry Saban

Pat McAfee again teased Saban, who noted, “Mrs. Always Right has spoken.” Shown again in the crowd, Terry smiled and flashed a thumbs-up.

While Ms. Terry is the less-public of the two Sabans, she has certainly played a significant role in her husband’s meteoric coaching rise. The Sabans met at a seventh-grade science fair and have been married since 1971. They have adopted two now-adult children together and have engaged in a variety of philanthropic and civic projects off the field. Nick’s Kids is a charitable foundation established by the Sabans to support childrens’ needs.

Given Nick Saban’s lifer approach to college football, there is always a certain measure of surprise expressed whenever reluctance to return to the coaching rat race is discussed. But Terry Saban has remained active in helping him move to a post-coaching career and given Nick’s success at ESPN, it’s fair to assume that the Sabans are indeed having “too much fun” in life outside football to consider a return to the gridiron. Mrs. Always Right was loud and clear on that fact.