{"id":212771,"date":"2025-07-16T23:33:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T23:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/212771\/"},"modified":"2025-07-16T23:33:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T23:33:12","slug":"making-sense-of-the-nonsensical-nick-saban-rumors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/212771\/","title":{"rendered":"Making sense of the nonsensical Nick Saban rumors"},"content":{"rendered":"

The thought of\u00a0Nick Saban returning to coaching took over the college football world this week.<\/a>\u00a0The rumors swirled following Greg McElroy\u2019s comments on the radio at SEC Media Days. McElroy later walked the comments back, but the speculation had already spread like a grassfire.<\/p>\n

[Sign up for Inside Texas for $1 and get PLUS access up to the Ohio State game!]<\/a><\/p>\n

Why would he consider coming back to the sidelines and recruiting circle over a cush job at ESPN? I don\u2019t think normal people like me can fathom the hyper competitiveness it takes to become someone like Saban in the first place. That\u2019s not a switch which is very easily flipped off. MJ slipped the Air Jordan\u2019s back on to play for the Washington Wizards, after all.<\/p>\n

\"\"Mar 28, 2003; Los Angeles, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Washington Wizards guard Michael Jordan (23) drives to the basket between Los Angeles Lakers forward Rick Fox (44) and Mark Madsen (35) during the third quarter of the Wizards 108 \u2013 94 loss to the Lakers at Staples Center. Jordan scored 23 points in the game. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n

Do I think Saban would make a move that desperate? No chance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Because I don\u2019t think Nick Saban will return to coaching \u2014 but if he did, here are\u00a0two theories\u00a0as to\u00a0why\u00a0and then\u00a0three places\u00a0that would make sense. I\u2019m only going to consider locations where Saban hasn\u2019t coached before, by the way. So, sorry Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa. Oh, and Toledo. Can\u2019t forget Toledo.<\/p>\n

*and no Texas fans, you won\u2019t get your long awaited wish of Miss Terry house shopping in Austin after Steve Sarkisian follows Arch Manning to the NFL*<\/p>\n

\"\"Jan 9, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban hoists the coaches trophy after the 2012 BCS National Championship game against the LSU Tigers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n

Theory #1: College Gameday offended him<\/p>\n

ESPN announced the headgear tradition would end when Lee Corso retires and hangs up the mascot gear. It was an appropriate gesture to honor a sports media legend. But\u00a0Gameday\u00a0has always thrived on the energy that makes the audience feel like they\u2019re at a raucous pregame tailgate. The headgear was the crescendo of the whole performance. So what will take its place? It has to have a spiritual sequel.<\/p>\n

\"\"Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; ESPN analysts Pat McAfee and Nick Saban before the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

But the surly and buttoned-up Saban isn\u2019t the zany Corso. I think ESPN suggested that Saban take off his shirt and get a tattoo of a team logo on air to symbolize who he thinks will win the game of the week. Can you imagine the greatest coach of all time with a chest full of logos inked into his skin? Imagine the mileage fanbases like Arizona State would get out of seeing their insignia next to Nick Saban\u2019s nipples.<\/p>\n

The suggestion made him so mad he quit on the spot.<\/p>\n

Theory #2: NIL looks familiar again.<\/p>\n

The chaotic environment of college football seemingly drove Saban out of coaching and away from Tuscaloosa. He looked at the ever-increasing turmoil from the transfer portal and NIL landscape and said, \u201cI\u2019ve got seven rings. I\u2019m out.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was reminiscent of Tommy Lee Jones\u2019 line in\u00a0No Country for Old Men:<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to push my chips forward and go out and meet something I don\u2019t understand. A man would have to put his soul at hazard. He\u2019d have to say: OK, I\u2019ll be part of this world.\u201d<\/p>\n

But after the House settlement (settlement in air quotes), things are murkier than ever. Nobody knows what NIL is or isn\u2019t anymore. It seems as though things could go back to to an environment that resembles Saban\u2019s heyday, where deals were under the table and came in a McDonald\u2019s bag.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a world Saban knows. A world where he can dominate.<\/p>\n

Place A: Texas Tech<\/p>\n

Pete Nakos of On3 reported that the Red Raiders have a $28 million roster in 2025.<\/a>\u00a0But NIL wheeler-dealer Cody Campbell has allegedly had to pony up a little more than normal because of Lubbock\u2019s locale. Still, a $28 million roster and Campbell\u2019s deep pockets should be attractive, especially given the current playoff format and how wide open the Big 12 is.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, it remains to be seen whether Texas Tech can succeed with Joey McGuire at the helm of such a cash cow. McGuire, two new coordinators, and Behren Morton at quarterback are being entrusted with a $28 million roster? That\u2019s like making Fred Durst the new frontman of The Rolling Stones.<\/p>\n

\"\"(Left) Texas Tech University President Lawrence Schovanec talks to the TTU System Board of Regents Chairman Cody Campbell at the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Cotton Classification Complex on April 16, 2025 in Lubbock, TX.<\/p>\n

If the wallets are opening in West Texas for softball and Joey McGuire, just imagine how much cash would get slapped on the table to buy players if Saban was in charge. Lubbock did lure (a disgraced version of) Bob Knight once upon a time.<\/p>\n

Plus, if Saban were on the South Plains, on top of the Llano Estacado, you can say \u201cAdios\u201d to the location upcharge for West Texas. Lubbock might finally be a place people stop singing about as being associated with \u201chappiness in the rearview mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a little while, at least.<\/p>\n

Place B: Michigan<\/p>\n

Once upon a time, Saban was a coach in Michigan who won just 59% of his games. A good final season in East Lansing allowed him to hop to the SEC and LSU. Then he became the Saban all football fans know, revere, or possibly hate.<\/p>\n

\"\"Oct 16, 1999; Wabash, IN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Michigan State Spartans head coach Nick Saban on the sidelines during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n

But he never ran the Big Ten like he did the SEC. The Wolverines could also be staring at a rough spell under Sherrone Moore \u2014 especially if Moore is doomed to be the fall guy for the \u201csign-gate\u201d situation with Jim Harbaugh back in the NFL. Saban could win big there immediately and add to an already untouchable r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n

The Wolverines have the fanbase, the helmet, and the prestige that could inspire Saban to return. He did flirt with Texas once upon a time.<\/p>\n

Place C: USC<\/p>\n

How much longer will Lincoln Riley get in Los Angeles?\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear Riley inherited a Ferrari in Norman from Bob Stoops. But we all became tricked that Riley, boy genius, was the Ferrari. It wasn\u2019t. Am I losing you? I apologize. Somewhere there was a very nice car associated with Lincoln Riley\u2019s coaching and program building acumen and he has proceeded to smash the car into a guardrail after puking in the front seat. But Riley and his inability to run a program beyond offense are now USC\u2019s problem, not Oklahoma\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Like Riley\u2019s Easter brisket, his coaching career might have been overcooked. He\u2019s just 26-14 in LA.<\/p>\n

USC is one of the most historic programs in the sport and has been associated with some of the biggest names in the pantheon: OJ, Marcus, Reggie. But it\u2019s a weird job. It\u2019s a private school with a fanbase prone to malaise. It needs fame and celebrity to wake it from its slumber.<\/p>\n

Who in coaching has more star power than Saban?<\/p>\n

[Order THE LONGHORN ALPHABET FOR 15% OFF: Get your little Longhorns ready for Texas Football this Fall!]<\/a><\/p>\n

Who would be better to put the sword back in the Trojans\u2019 hand than the GOAT?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The thought of\u00a0Nick Saban returning to coaching took over the college football world this week.\u00a0The rumors swirled following…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":207925,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[7,49,48,11973],"class_list":{"0":"post-212771","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-ncaa","10":"tag-ncaa-football","11":"tag-nick-saban-69-monongah"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114865531110164871","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212771\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/207925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=212771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=212771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}