Gus Malzahn Reveals He Nearly Joined Nick Saban at Alabama - And How That One Decision Shaped an Era of College Football
College football thrives on sliding doors moments - the near-misses, the what-ifs, the decisions that ripple through decades. And this week, one of those moments came to light, courtesy of a coach who helped define one of the sport’s fiercest rivalries.
Gus Malzahn, who officially retired Monday after a 35-year coaching career, revealed that back in 2008, Nick Saban personally reached out to him about becoming Alabama’s offensive coordinator. Yes, that Nick Saban. And yes, that Alabama.
At the time, Malzahn was fresh off a scorching season at Tulsa, where he served as assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator under Todd Graham. Tulsa’s offense was lighting up the scoreboard, averaging a jaw-dropping 543.9 yards per game - tops in the nation.
It wasn’t just productive; it was explosive, creative, and ahead of its time. And Saban, always a step ahead when it comes to evolving with the game, clearly took notice.
“We had the best offense in the country,” Malzahn recalled in a recent interview. “And I remember Julio Jones was waiting to see who the offensive coordinator was going to be.”
Let’s pause there.
Julio Jones. A generational talent.
One of the most coveted recruits in the country. And he was waiting to see who’d be calling the plays in Tuscaloosa.
Imagine if it had been Malzahn - the architect of one of the most dynamic offenses in college football - lining up with a young Julio in crimson and white.
But it never happened.
When asked why he didn’t take the job, Malzahn was candid: “I don’t know. That’s a great question.
I’d just come from Arkansas, which was my first year in college coaching, and had only been at Tulsa for a year. I guess I wanted to do my own thing.”
It’s a decision that still gives him pause. And understandably so. But it also speaks to where Malzahn was in his coaching journey - a former high school coach, still new to the college ranks, suddenly fielding a call from the most powerful man in the sport.
“I just remember thinking, ‘That’s pretty cool. Here I am, an old high school coach, and Nick Saban is calling me about a job,’” he said with a laugh.
Instead of heading to Tuscaloosa, Malzahn charted his own course. And that path eventually led him to Auburn, where he became not just a coach, but a central figure in one of the most intense rivalries in American sports.
Malzahn spent 11 years at Auburn - three as offensive coordinator from 2009 to 2011, and eight as head coach from 2013 to 2020. And during that time, he didn’t just face Saban; he challenged him.
Beat him. Pushed Alabama in ways few others could.
“But that was one of the things that made my time at Auburn so special,” Malzahn said. “Being there when Nick was and going against the best to ever do it as your rival… There is no rivalry like that one. We always had a chip on our shoulder, and when we played them, we expected to whip them.”
That chip on the shoulder? It wasn’t just talk.
Under Malzahn, Auburn delivered some of the most memorable Iron Bowl moments in recent memory. He didn’t just participate in the rivalry - he helped shape its modern identity.
And even as he reflected on what might’ve been, Malzahn had nothing but respect for the man on the other sideline.
“That’s the thing about Nick,” he said. “He adapted. He kept winning at the same level, changing coaches just about every year and changing with the game.”
That adaptability - that relentless pursuit of excellence - is what’s kept Saban at the top. And it’s what made the idea of a Saban-Malzahn pairing so tantalizing in hindsight.
But in the end, Malzahn chose his own path. And by doing so, he didn’t just shape his own legacy - he helped define an era of college football.
It’s one of those rare “what ifs” that doesn’t just live in the imagination - it echoes through the history of the sport. Because if Gus Malzahn had joined Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa in 2008, the Iron Bowl - and maybe the entire SEC landscape - might look very different today.