Speculation about Nick Saban’s potential return to coaching is making the rounds.
However, his daughter is putting those rumors to rest.
On Thursday, Kristen Saban shared a video on her father’s story while he was coaching in Alabama. Some fans of the Crimson Tide saw this as a hint that he might return to football. But Kristen quickly addressed the gossip with a follow-up post.
“So, apparently, some people took my last story of Nick’s strike as a sign that he’s back in coaching. He’s not, sorry to break it to you,” Kristen remarked in her response. “I had some time.”
Rumors really picked up on Monday when former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy claimed during his show that Saban, currently a panelist for ESPN’s “College GameDay,” had been informed by a reliable source about a future return to coaching.
ESPN’s Paul Feinbaum, who was also on the podcast, dismissed those claims as unfounded.
“Greg, you know Nick Saban better than I do, but I recently spoke with someone who spends time with him in Florida,” Feinbaum noted.
This week, speculation about Saban intensified during the SEC media days, particularly after Georgia’s head coach, and ex-Alabama defensive coordinator, Kirby Smart, commented that he believes Saban’s coaching days are behind him.
“I don’t think Nick will return,” Smart stated to reporters at SEC Media Day. “I think he’s content where he is. That was not something we discussed yesterday. I talk to Nick often—I just don’t see it happening.”
In contrast, Lane Kiffin, one of Saban’s former offensive coordinators, expressed that he wouldn’t be surprised if Saban chose to step back into coaching, whether that be in the NFL or college.
“I always thought he would get back into it, and I figured it’d happen soon,” Kiffin said. “While I’m chatting with him about something current, I can’t say for sure he will return. But honestly, I think he might, whether it’s in the NFL or college.”
