Rumors of Alabama football head coach Nick Saban's retirement have surfaced recently, ushering in a wave of speculation from college football fans. But what if this isn't even the closest that Saban has come to stepping away from the sidelines?
The legendary Alabama football coach was considering this stunning move after the infamous ‘Kick Six' loss against Auburn football in the 2013 Iron Bowl. CBS Sports' Barrett Sallee has the details, which were revealed in a book titled “The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban”, written by AL.com senior sports editor John Talty.
The Crimson Tide's season ended with a loss to Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, which accelerated the talks with ESPN. Saban reportedly “empowered Khan to reach out to ESPN with the message Saban was thinking about the next chapter in his career and considering whether media should be a part of that,” according to the book.
The book revealed that Nick Saban met with his agent Nick Khan to speak about the possibility of joining ESPN as an analyst. That meeting occurred before the start of the 2013 college football season.
The Crimson Tide then won 11 games in a row to finish 11-2 in 2013, making it to the Iron Bowl against Auburn, where they were bested 34-28. Tigers defensive back Chris Davis pulled off one of the wildest plays in college football history in that game, returning a missed field goal 109 yards for a game-winning touchdown as time expired.
The Crimson Tide lost in the Sugar Bowl. After the season, talks with ESPN ramped up, as Nick Saban reportedly was “thinking about the next chapter in his career and considering whether media should be a part of that.”
Saban ultimately decided to stay with Alabama. However, the course of college football history- and Alabama football's history- was that close to being flipped upside down.
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