Nick Saban shocked college football when he retired after the 2023 season. Now, a return is the only thing that would be a bigger surprise, and one of his former quarterbacks hinted at the possibility on Monday morning. However, an even bigger voice in the SEC media quickly shot that idea down.
On his radio show with Cole Cubelic, Greg McElroy floated the rumor that Saban could be looking to return to the sidelines. Though, McElroy, who played for Saban from 2007-2010, winning the 2009 national championship, didn’t hear it from his former coach himself, instead citing a nameless college football media member.
Paul Finebaum, very much not nameless, responded on the show with an adamant “no” regarding the thought that Saban could be eying a return.
Greg McElroy just said on @macandcube that a notable “in-the-know” CFB personality has told him that he believes that legendary Alabama HC Nick Saban is not done coaching.
— Sidelines - Bama (@SSN_Alabama) July 14, 2025
Asks Paul Finebaum on air if he’s buying it and Finebaum responds with a heavy “no.”
Paul Finebaum squashes idea that Nick Saban is looking to return to coaching
It’s hard to imagine that Saban would return to coaching anywhere but Tuscaloosa, and considering how well Kalen DeBoer has recruited through his first two cycles since taking over the Crimson Tide, Saban’s replacement appears well-suited and firmly entrenched in the job.
Expectations are sky high at Alabama, so DeBoer’s status could change with another season finishing outside of the College Football Playoff, opening the door for Saban’s triumphant return, but would the greatest coach of all time be interested in re-entering the sport at 74 years old? Not likely.
It’s been widely theorized that one of the motivating factors for Saban’s retirement was the changes in the sport writ large, with the freedom of movement through the transfer portal and demands of NIL. The job of a college football head coach is potentially more difficult than ever, not just recruiting high school talent and current college players in the portal, but the effort it takes to retain players on your own roster each season.
While the House vs. NCAA settlement took steps to remedy those issues, the introduction of revenue-sharing could make it even more difficult to manage a roster because every program has money to spend. This new era will make it difficult for any program to dominate the sport as Saban did for a decade and a half at Alabama, which is just another reason for Saban to stay happily retired.
Alabama appears to be in good hands with DeBoer, and Saban appears to be happy with ESPN’s College Gameday. The rumors may continue to circulate every offseason, but don’t expect the greatest coach of all time to get back into the game anytime soon.