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The old adage goes: Where there is smoke, there is fire. And the metaphorical smoke billowed during the first day of SEC Media Days on Monday around college football legend Nick Saban.
Rumors about Saban returning to the sport he left more than a year ago ramped up.
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Alabama Coach Nick Saban argues with a referee following a fourth quarter call against Arkansas. (Robert Sutton/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Greg McElroy brought some of the rumors into the atmosphere during an interview on the “Mac and Cube” radio show in Birmingham.
“A very much in-the-know person that I have a lot of respect for and have spent a lot of time around and just really, really admire, they seem to think Nick Saban is not done coaching,” McElroy said. “He’s pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again.”
McElroy did say he believed, personally, Saban was finished during an appearance on ESPN.
“I’d be shocked (if he came back). … There are people connected to the sports world that think he’s not done. Now, interpret that however you will. People that would be somewhat knowledgeable about something like this, yes,” he said.
Alabama coach Nick Saban reacts in the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night Sept. 11, 2010. (Robert Sutton/The Tuscaloosa News)
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Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin said he believed Saban will be back on the sidelines — whether it’s in college football or the pros.
“He’s not going to need me to hire him,” Kiffin said, via the Clarion Ledger. “I don’t think he’s done. I think he’ll be back. Whether that’s college or NFL I think he’ll be back.”
LSU Tigers head coach Brina Kelly seemed to be all for Saban coming back to the sport.
“It’d be better for college football if Nick Saban is coaching,” he said, via On3 Sports. “Period. There’s nobody better to develop players and certainly build championship programs.”
Saban left Alabama after several national championships. He suggested the advent of name, image and likeness and the lawlessness of the transfer portal were the reasons why he stepped away from the sport.
Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts prior to a game against the Texas Longhorns at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 09, 2023 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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It’s unclear whether Saban would entertain the idea of a return.
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