All eyes have been on Nick Saban lately after his former quarterback, Greg McElroy, revealed he had heard from a reliable source within the program that the now-retired head coach could return to coaching somewhere down the line.
“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.”
That comment has fueled a wave of speculation, opening the floodgates for theories, predictions, and hot takes. Analysts, podcasts, and even former players are chiming in on where Saban might go. One of the more intriguing suggestions came from former Alabama QB AJ McCarron, who hinted at a specific destination.
“There’s only one school he would ever—I could ever see him coming back for,” McCarron said. “And this is because, you can just say I know. I’ll never talk more in depth on it. I could see him coming back to college for the University of Texas.”
Not long after the rumors gained steam, Saban’s daughter Kristen seemed to shut things down with a quick post on social media.
“He's not coming back to coaching, hate to break it to you,” Kristen Saban posted.
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Still, when asked directly in a recent interview with 247Sports’ Mike Rodak, Saban didn’t definitively close the door on coaching again.
“There is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching,” Saban said.
While that’s not a confirmation, it’s also not a denial. If Saban were fully committed to staying retired, he likely would’ve made that crystal clear. Instead, it seems like he’s leaving the door slightly open. If he does decide to return, the possibilities of where Nick Saban could end up are wide open.