Alabama Football: Nick Saban to miss the Iron Bowl

Alabama Football: It was learned Wednesday morning that due to COVID, Nick Saban will not be able to coach in the Iron Bowl.

Nick Saban will not coach his Alabama football team this Saturday in the Iron Bowl. Official word came from the University of Alabama on Wednesday morning.

There are three games Alabama football fans most want to win. The SEC Championship and National Championship games are two of them. The third is each and every Iron Bowl.

Nick Saban, like most Alabama football fans, will not be at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday afternoon. He will be watching the game from home. As we learned when Saban was expected to miss an earlier game, he cannot coach remotely from home, per SEC rules. Also as before, Steve Sarkisian is expected to step in and be both Offensive Coordinator and Head Coach against Auburn.

An immediate reaction from Alabama football fans is whether Auburn’s chances are much improved with no Saban on the sideline. Though it is hard to know, it is reasonable to expect no Nick gives the Tigers a better chance. A calm response can be reached by acknowledging there is a gap between the two teams and Saban’s absence should not be enough for the Tigers to bridge the gap.

Nick Saban’s health matters more than an Iron Bowl. The statement above described his symptoms as mild. Nick is one of the healthiest 69 year-olds on the planet, giving him good chances for a full and quick recovery. Still, it cannot be ignored that Saban is part of a higher-risk category due to his age. Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News gave an encouraging update.

How will the rest of the Alabama football staff react? For Steve Sarkisian and the other assistants, it will not be business as usual. But, a benefit from Saban’s have a ‘plan for everything’ regime will mean a carefully developed plan for these circumstances will guide the staff.

Sarkisian and the rest of Saban’s staff will immediately rise to the challenge. It is possible there is even a silver lining. In recent years, the always National Championship hunting Crimson Tide have appeared not as primed for the Iron Bowl as the Tigers. Alabama football players will not be the least bit flat on Saturday, seizing an opportunity to play for their head coach.

Bama Hammer will follow the coaching plans for Saturday and keep Crimson Tide fans updated. More importantly, we wish Nick Saban a quick return to health.