Nick Saban won seven titles during his college football coaching career from 1990-23, but following the 2023 season, he opted to retire from coaching. The former LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide head coach has since transitioned into a media role for ESPN, joining the beloved pregame show “College GameDay.”
Saban, 73, has said countless times that he no longer has the itch to coach, but over the past few weeks some major college football jobs have opened up across the country. The latest to join the fold is actually a position he once held, the head coaching job at LSU.
Advertisement
Following a 49-25 Week 9 loss to the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies, the Tigers program opted to part with fourth-year head coach Brian Kelly after the team’s 5-3 start. While Kelly opened his tenure in the Bayou with back-to-back 10-win seasons, he was never viewed as a cultural fit and seemed to always come up just short of the College Football Playoff.
Despite Saban’s unwillingness to show much interest publicly in returning to the sidelines, Fox’s Joel Klatt revealed on a recent episode of “The Joel Klatt Show” that LSU needs to make a push for him.
Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin talks with former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban.© Butch Dill-Imagn Images
Klatt tabbed Saban and former Florida Gators/Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer as coaches who absolutely need to be contacted and forced to say no if you are LSU.
Advertisement
“There’s two people that are going to get calls,” Klatt said. “And I think that LSU is going to force them to turn down $15 million a year. And that is Urban Meyer and Nick Saban. I think both of those guys will get that call, and if I’m Scott Woodward I think you have to make that call.”
Saban coached at LSU from 2000-04, before leaving to take the Miami Dolphins head coaching job. It’s a move he declared was the “biggest mistake” he made in his coaching career when appearing on “The Pivot” last year, expressing he enjoyed coaching in college much more.
While this could offer a chance at redemption, Saban said this past weekend on the “Pat McAfee Show” that only his wife, Ms. Terry, is interested in him coaching, and it’s because of the pay.
Advertisement
“I want to stay retired, and I do not want him [agent Jimmy Sexton] anywhere near Miss Terry, because when she hears some of these numbers, she gets interested,” Saban said. “And I ain’t interested.”
Only time will tell if Saban will hold true to this sentiment, but it’s unlikely a job of this caliber will open up again anytime soon.
Related: Emerging Head Coach Named Favorite to Replace Brian Kelly at LSU
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.