Legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban’s retirement may not be the final chapter after all. Someone close to the legendary coach thinks he’s not done with coaching, and there’s one SEC program that keeps coming up in conversations.
The catch? Getting him there would cost $60 million, but it’s probably not happening.
What Did Greg McElroy Reveal About Nick Saban’s Potential Return?
During Monday’s “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning,” former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy dropped a bombshell that has college football buzzing. McElroy revealed that someone within Saban’s trusted circle believes the 74-year-old may not be done with coaching.
“This is a little bit out of left field, but the question was asked of me,” McElroy said. “A very much ‘person in the know’ that I have a lot of respect for and have spent a lot of time around and just really really admire — they seem to think Nick Saban’s not done coaching.”
McElroy went further, adding that this insider was confident about Saban’s future. “He’s pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again,” McElroy said.
Speaking on his show, analyst Aaron Torres acknowledged the legitimacy of McElroy’s statement. “McElroy’s really good at what he does,” Torres said. “If he said that, I truly do believe the conversation was had with somebody who knows and is in Nick Saban’s inner circle.”
However, Torres remained skeptical about the feasibility of a comeback. “There’s a big difference between a guy saying, ‘Man, I miss it,’ and actually coming back,” he explained. “He’s 74 years old. Even if healthy, what does he really have? Four, maybe five years?”
Why Would LSU Be Saban’s Only Realistic Option?
Torres emphasized that the current college football landscape remains largely unchanged since Saban stepped away. “We still have completely unregulated transfers,” he said, noting that the NIL and portal chaos that frustrated Saban continues to exist.
When discussing potential job openings, Torres dismissed several programs outright. “You can’t convince Nick Saban to be the Arkansas head football coach,” he said. “Florida State is kind of broke… It doesn’t really add up.”
The only scenario Torres briefly entertained was a meltdown at LSU under Brian Kelly. “If Brian Kelly was terrible… maybe I could see LSU,” he said, before pointing to the massive financial barrier. “LSU is going to have to pay $60 million guaranteed to get Brian Kelly out of there. It ain’t happening.”
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Torres concluded with a stark assessment of Saban’s situation: “His legacy is already set… all he can do is hurt it by coming back.”
Since retiring in January 2024, 73-year-old Nick Saban joined ESPN, earned Hall of Fame honors, and had Alabama’s field named after him, ending a 28-year, seven-title coaching career. He is also a weekly member on College GameDay, which will be starting in a few weeks.