Alabama Crimson Tide legend Nick Saban surprisingly retired after the 2023-24 season. Since then, he has taken on a role on “College GameDay,” offering his expert advice and takes about teams around the nation. However, rumors have swirled that he could potentially return to coaching. On Friday, Saban addressed those rumors.
During a guest appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the 73-year-old former head coach claimed that the rumors caught him off guard. He admits he never even thought about returning and said that his wife hilariously asked him why he didn't tell her about his potential return and the rumors of him running the college football committee.
“You know what, and that came out of nowhere,” said Nick Saban about the coaching return rumors. “I mean, Miss Terry said, ‘Where did that come from?' I mean, she wouldn't let me do it, number one. I've never thought about doing it, number two. And I don't know how somebody could just come up with this out of thin air.
“I didn't know anything about that either,” claimed Saban about the college football committee talk. “And Miss Terry sees it on, I don't know, the internet somewhere, and she says, ‘Why didn't you tell me about this?' Tell you about what? I didn't know anything about it.”
"Those rumors came out of nowhere and I never thought about coaching again..
I didn't know anything about any of these rumors..
Miss Terry asked why I didn't tell her and I didn't know anything about it" 😂😂 ~ Coach Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/GHDQDTIVtU
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 29, 2025
From the sounds of it, Nick Saban has no plans on returning to coaching again. He seems comfortable with his position at ESPN, working on the “College GameDay” set during the season. Regardless, the rumor mill may continue to buzz over the years, as Saban is considered one of the best coaches in college football history.
Although the former Alabama head coach claims that he doesn't plan on returning to coaching or that he's leading a college football committee, he did have a conversation with President Donald Trump over his concerns about NIL deals in college sports. Trump seemingly listened to Nick Saban's concerns and claimed he would help make a change to possibly balance NIL deals. With that said, we should expect to see Nick Saban remain on the “College GameDay” set.
