Less than two years ago, Nick Saban decided to call it quits as the longtime head coach at the University of Alabama, ending one of the greatest reigns in college football history—arguably the best. However, after a recent comment from former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, it appears Saban might not be done with the game he loves.
“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.”
Speculation has already begun about where Saban might land if he chooses to return, with potential opportunities surfacing at both the NFL and collegiate level. Sportsnaut’s Jason Burgos believes Saban could even take the head coaching job at Auburn if Hugh Freeze doesn’t start winning.
“With Saban set to turn 74 years old this year, it would be understandable if he doesn’t want to uproot his life and move to another city far away if he returns to the sidelines. And as mentioned above, maybe Alabama ends up giving DeBoer at least four seasons to keep his job. That could make Auburn a perfect landing spot for Saban,” Burgos wrote.
Freeze has recently come under scrutiny, with some claiming he spends too much time on the golf course and not enough on recruiting. Auburn Athletic Director John Cohen defended his coach.
“I'm gonna be really blunt with you," Cohen told AL.com. "I rode up here in a car with Hugh Freeze and he had seven recruiting calls in those two hours. And many of the recruiting calls were kids calling him. One of the things I really admire about our football coach is there are many coaches out there, many who hand off recruiting to other people on their staff. Hugh Freeze is not one of them."
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The idea of Saban accepting a job at Auburn seems unlikely—but not impossible. If Freeze can’t deliver results this season, Auburn may look to make a change, potentially opening the door for Saban to make a shocking return to the sidelines.