Nick Saban was in Birmingham on Monday night for the annual Nick Saban Legacy Awards. At one point, the conversation drifted to last month's rampant rumor mill of Saban potentially eyeing a return to the sidelines.
That rumor got started by his former QB Greg McElroy, now a prominent member of the college football media, who stated on his radio show that he had heard from someone in the know that Saban may not be done coaching.
Multiple others denied the rumors, including Saban himself, and the legendary Alabama head coach seems content in his retirement, with a return unlikely. While Saban has addressed the rumor in the past, he never addressed McElroy directly. That changed on Monday night in Birmingham, as Saban had a colorful and pointed response to his former QB:
Nick Saban was asked about the rumor of a potential return to coaching in his future.
— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) August 19, 2025
His answer: "Greg McElroy played quarterback for us and if he'd've done something like that when he was a player, he would have got his a** kicked." 🤣 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/EIGWgUGKIs
Nick Saban remains happy in retirement
The coaching itch probably never fully goes away, but Nick Saban seems to be totally content in his decision to walk away from coaching. He built a lasting legacy in Tuscaloosa, winning six National Championships in a 17-year run that will almost certainly never be matched.
He has done excellent work on television since his retirement with ESPN's College GameDay, helping the show deliver the best ratings in its history. He also worked the NFL Draft, providing his expert analysis on prospects.
He's also playing a lot more golf and working through various honey-do lists for Miss Terry.
This is the second time Saban has addressed his return to coaching rumors. This one was a little more tongue-in-cheek than his interview on Fox Nation's Fox & Friends last month. He addressed the rumor then, stating he didn't see anything on the horizon that would cause him to change his mind on his decision to retire.
That came after his daughter, Kristen, addressed the retirement rumors, too, on her social media. She stated her Dad was not coming back to coaching. ESPN's Chris Low, the man who broke the news of Saban's retirement, was also interviewed about it shortly after McElroy's comments and stated he didn't believe the legendary head coach would return to the sidelines, either.