Everyone thought Nick Saban would be enjoying his retirement after a decade-long successful coaching career. Instead he has started the second phase of his career, hopping in as ESPN’s GameDay analyst. Seeing Saban as a communicator breaking game bites or predicting wins has earned him respect among veterans Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Field Yates, Laura Rutledge, and Pete Thamel. But one more among them is talking about Saban’s continuous grit to learn, which has made him a media star.
Some things are easy to predict. A coach holding a 201-29 overall record on his back will surely have numerous things to say about the game, and that’s exactly why ESPN chose Saban. As Rece Davis points it out straight: “I knew for a long time that he would be great. I did not know that he would be immediately extraordinary. I mean, he’s the most gifted communicator I’ve ever seen. You know, I’ve seen him speak to his team. I’ve seen him, obviously, on television, I’ve seen him. Do you know boardroom-type speeches? I’ve seen him in our meetings. I mean, he is. It’s rare, man.”
There’s no doubt that Saban’s doing an extraordinary job as an analyst, and his first year was a massive success. So much so that he earned an Emmy nomination for it back in April. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences made this news public, and Saban was in the Sports Emmy category for outstanding personality/emerging on-air talent after making an instant impact on fans everywhere.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Davis explains exactly why he made it this big in a short time span. “I mean, from coaches to public speakers to preachers to you name it, I mean, this guy is as good as it gets in terms of being able to do that. And it served him well, and obviously he sees every single thing, you know, when he watches tape, and it’s just, it’s just great to work with,” he said. It’s either Saban’s banter with Pat McAfee or him hesitantly picking Alabama over Georgia while making predictions. Saban’s charm is unmatched.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Along with his valuable insights, the ESPN gig also allowed viewers to get a peek into Saban’s direct way of talking. While coming on Pat McAfee’s show, Saban made a bold statement on the entire “white out” thing with Penn State, saying, “We played in a white out here, and it didn’t help them much.” That jab cuts deep considering the recent loss to Oregon.
He continued to explain how he used to handle his team during such road games. “I do think the thing I always tried to emphasize with our team when we went on the road, whether it was a blackout, a whiteout, or whatever it was. It was that the fans don’t make any plays in the game,” Saban said. “Yes, there’s going to be noise, and we’ll have to handle the noise like we do in all road environments.” But even with a successful analyst career taking off, reports keep pointing of Saban’s possible return to college football.
Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports
Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports
Clemson’s urge to get Nick Saban onto the team
Dabo Swinney’s team entered this season with a lot of hopes and as one of the top championship contenders. But it all went straight into the drain after a dismal 1-3 start. They started off their season losing against LSU at home and even struggled to win against a weak team like Troy. This was followed by losing against Syracuse and Georgia Tech. There is immense pressure on Swinney, and the one name that keeps popping up as a possible replacement is Saban.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Teams are impatient and want their programs to have consistent success. The past will not save your job in the present, and it’s pretty clear after Mike Gundy’s firing amid a 1-2 start. Even if a $60 million buyout might protect Swinney for a while, there’s no guarantee for how long. Brian Schaible of The Sporting News said, “Saban’s name looms over every major vacancy in the sport. Even in the twilight of his career, his presence would instantly restore national title expectations. The long shot is whether he would ever consider one final challenge beyond Alabama and whether Clemson would be the stage for it.”
There’s no doubt that getting Nick Saban would instantly elevate their program, as his 292-71-1 career record with seven national championships proves it. But as it stands today Saban has made it pretty clear that he doesn’t want to return to coaching. Fans of his would have to tune into GameDay to get their fill of the GOAT.