Nick Saban says the move away from Alabama had nothing to do with NIL, and he’s making it clear he doesn’t expect a return to coaching.
During an appearance on ESPN’s " Get Up" on Tuesday, the former Crimson Tide coach said the real reason he stepped down after the 2023 season was simpler than the modern noise around college football. For him, it was about family and the toll of being in the job for so long.
Saban, 74, also pushed back on the idea that NIL was the thing that drove him out. He said he kept coaching once NIL arrived and compared that adjustment to handling the salary cap during his time with the Miami Dolphins. He spent two seasons in the NFL before heading back to the college game.
There had been plenty of speculation about whether Saban might coach again someday, but he said he has no plans to do that. Before stepping away from Alabama, one concern he had was that other schools might use his age against him on the recruiting trail.
That age question is part of the backdrop now, especially with North Carolina coach Bill Belichick also 74, though the situation around his job is hardly the same as what Saban faced in his final years at Alabama.
Saban’s résumé still speaks for itself. He finished his head-coaching career at 292-71-1 across stops at Toledo, Michigan State, LSU and Alabama.
He won one national championship at LSU and six more with the Crimson Tide. He also claimed two SEC titles with LSU and nine with Alabama.
While Saban settles into life after Alabama, Kalen DeBoer is still working through the weight of following him. The early stretch of DeBoer’s tenure brought plenty of outside pressure, especially after Alabama lost four games in each of his first two seasons and drew criticism from some corners of the fan base.
The program showed its faith in DeBoer earlier this year with a contract extension after Alabama beat Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
And this season, the Tide have started to look more like themselves. Alabama is 4-0 and has looked like a real CFP contender through September.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Running Back Room Faces Pressure Fans Can No Longer Ignore
A bye week after the loss to Florida gives Ole Miss a chance to take a hard look at a running back room that has quickly become one of the more intriguing parts of the roster. The Rebels went into the season with a wave of reinforcements at the position, adding transfers JT Lindsey, Makhi Frazier and Joshua Dye, while also bringing in recruit Shekai Mills-Knight, giving the coaching staff more bodies and more options than it had a year ago.
Now the challenge is sorting out how to use that depth with starter Kewan Lacy injured and the offense looking for a jolt. For a team trying to get back on track, the pause in the schedule could be useful if it leads to clearer answers about who can handle the load and who can help this offense become more consistent when the games start counting again. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Has A Trinidad Chambliss Problem It Must Fix Fast
Trinidad Chambliss put together the kind of night that can keep Ole Miss afloat, accounting for nearly 350 yards in a recent loss while throwing one touchdown and running for two more. Even in defeat, the Rebels got enough from Chambliss to see how dangerous he can be when the offense leans on his dual-threat ability, but the bigger picture is harder to ignore. Injuries have thinned the group around him, and the steady production Ole Miss needs from the rest of the offense has not shown up often enough.
Deuce Alexander remains one of the more important pieces in that effort at receiver, especially with Vanderbilt next on the schedule. The Rebels do not need Chambliss to be perfect, but they do need more of the burden spread around before SEC defenses can keep squeezing the same pressure points. If Ole Miss is going to get back on track, the answer has to come from more than one player carrying the entire load. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Fans Have A New SEC Quarterback Debate To Watch
Josh Pates latest SEC quarterback rankings gave Ole Miss plenty to chew on even after the Rebels recent loss, because Trinidad Chambliss stayed put at the top of the list. The analysts September 29 update continued to view Chambliss as the leagues most effective quarterback so far, a nod to the way he has carried the offense through the early part of the season and helped keep Ole Miss in the mix despite the setback.
Chambliss production helps explain the placement, with 102 completions on 144 attempts for 1,222 yards, along with eight touchdowns and three interceptions through four games. The ranking also adds a little extra edge to the SEC conversation for Mississippi State fans, since Kamario Taylor sits right behind him at No. 2 and Alabamas Keelon Russell is next at No. 3, setting up a quarterback debate that figures to keep moving as league play unfolds. [Read more 🡒]