Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy adds fuel to a fire regarding a Nick Saban rumor everyone saw coming
Could all-time great Nick Saban really consider making a return to college football?
Nick Saban hasn't been out of coaching long. In fact, only one season has passed since he retired after 17 years as the head coach for the Alabama Crimson Tide. But anytime you do something for that long, especially at such a high level where it's become a part of who you are, it can be difficult to come off that grind. Sometimes, the itch to return is too strong.
According to former Alabama quarterback and SEC analyst Greg McElroy, Saban could be dealing with that itch, and at least one source he's spoken with believes that the greatest college football coach of all time could make a return at some point.
“This is a little bit out of left field, but the question was asked of me … a very much in the know person that I have a lot of respect for and have spent a lot of time around and just really, really admire,” McElroy said on his radio show, McElroy and Cube in the Morning. “They seem to think Nick Saban’s not done coaching. I had a similar reaction. He’s pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again. … Look, if it wasn’t someone notable, I’d never say a word.”
Now, we should note that this is speculation from an unknown source. We don't know who said it, but we do know that McElroy obviously trusts them. That's quite a statement to put out there ahead of SEC Media Days, which he'll be helping host all week on the SEC Network.
Saban will be turning 74 years old in October, and he's always said that he'd step away from the game the day he could no longer put into it what he did in his earlier years. According to ESPN college football reporter Chris Low back in March of 2024, that day came following the 2023 season when Saban told UA athletic director Greg Byrne that coaching was getting to be "more and more difficult" on him.
Has a year off been helpful for Saban's energy level? I'm sure, but it's also difficult to say whether or not he'd be able to put that same level of effort into building or rebuilding another program at this stage in his life. And he just doesn't seem like the type of person to risk an impeccable legacy after finally being willing to step away.
I'll be curious to hear what Saban inevitably has to say about these rumors.
