Legendary coach Nick Saban stunned the college football world when he announced that he would be stepping away from the game earlier this year. The 72-year-old called it quits after a storied coaching career that saw him oversee four university programs and an NFL franchise.
Saban initially made a name for himself with the Michigan State Spartans where he revitalised an ailing program before a high profile move to the the LSU Tigers. Although he won a National Championship in Louisiana, the coach will be remembered best for his historic 17-year run with Alabama. During a stretch of dominance, the university would go on to win six National Championships and nine SEC titles under his leadership. He finished with an overall 206-29 record with the Crimson Tide.
Shortly after announcing his retirement, ESPN announced Saban would be joining the network as an analyst. The transition should be relatively easy for a man that known more about the college game than almost anyone on the planet.
Don’t count on Nick Saban picking against Alabama on ‘College GameDay’ https://t.co/PWiCKl1N3b pic.twitter.com/gV7vaX81GT
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 21, 2024
During a recent press conference in Birmingham, the former coach was asked about his new role and whether he would be picking Alabama as a winner every time or remain objective? The veteran had a diplomatic response to the tricky question.
“I don’t know that you always have to pick the team you think’s gonna win. You’re allowed to have a spiritual feeling about who do you like and who you want to win,” said Saban.
The diplomatic response allowed Saban some leeway down the line and made sure he didn’t offend any of his old friends in Tuscaloosa.
After 50 years in coaching, Saban went on to say he was glad he would stay involved with the game and looked forward to the new job.
