Greg McElroy recently stirred the rumor mill by suggesting that his former Alabama head coach, Nick Saban, might not be done coaching after all. The former Crimson Tide quarterback claimed he had a source “in the know” who believes Saban could be eyeing a return to the sidelines.
Saban, for his part, has since brushed off those rumors.
“There is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching. I enjoy what I’m doing,” Saban told Fox & Friends.
Saban currently serves as an analyst on ESPN’s College GameDay, having joined the show following his retirement in January. But the key phrase, as Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy noted, was “right now.” That wording left just enough ambiguity to keep speculation alive.
McCarthy outlined several reasons why the soon-to-be 74-year-old might consider one final coaching opportunity. One of the most intriguing involves his longtime friend and coaching peer, Bill Belichick.
“Despite six Super Bowl trophies with the Patriots, other NFL owners refused to hire Belichick. Saban would have to be amused if NFL owners like [Jimmy] Haslam courted him while exiling Belichick to the ACC,” McCarthy wrote.
Even FS1’s Colin Cowherd weighed in on the speculation, floating a scenario where Saban could be paired with the Texas' Arch Manning in Cleveland.
“This is the worst-kept secret in the South,” Cowherd said. “Haslam, Jimmy, owner of the Browns — huge SEC, Tennessee booster, leans heavily on the Manning family. Very close to the Manning family.
“[Nick] Saban is incredibly close not only to Jimmy Haslam, but also to the Manning family as well. So, Saban, if he could land, I’m told, a top quarterback — like Harbaugh going to the Chargers for [Justin] Herbert — he would take a phone call from the NFL. … This is not a conspiracy theory.”
McCarthy also pointed to other signs, including Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s belief that Saban might not be done, and the simple fact that many legendary coaches struggle to fully walk away from the game.