Lane Kiffin expects Nick Saban to return to coaching: ‘I don’t think he’s done’

Nick Saban parlayed his legendary coaching career at the University of Alabama into a very promising career in media at ESPN. And while Saban hasn’t expressed any desire to return to coaching, Saban’s former assistant coach, current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, isn’t counting out a potential return to coaching for Saban.

Saban was always someone who could be a bit abrasive when addressing the media during his coaching days. So, on paper, he didn’t exactly profile as the ideal candidate to make a long-term transition from the sidelines to a studio setting.

However, Saban certainly impressed in his first season on the College GameDay cast in 2024, even receiving a Sports Emmy for his efforts on the show back in May.

Additionally, Saban has taken on responsibility in the legislative side of college football, spending time with Donald Trump in an effort to lobby for an executive order to “reform” the landscape of college football in regards to NIL compensation for student athletes.

Despite Saban’s active presence in the college football landscape in his post-coaching days, Lane Kiffin believes that Saban could be enticed to return to the sidelines should the right opportunity present itself.

“He’s not going to need me to hire him,” Kiffin said, when asked at the opening day of SEC Media Days whether he would consider hiring Saban. “I don’t think he’s done. I think he’ll be back. Whether that’s college or NFL, I think he’ll be back.”

Lane Kiffin doesn’t think his former boss Nick Saban is done coaching. https://t.co/7iCKcaiWXf pic.twitter.com/EduSxUfaOP

— Sam Hutchens (@Sam_Hutchens_) July 14, 2025

Interestingly, Kiffin isn’t alone in his assessment that Saban may not be done coaching. Greg McElroy, a colleague of Saban at ESPN who played under him at Alabama, also explained on Monday during a conversation with Paul Finebaum that “someone very much in the know” had recently told him that Saban isn’t done coaching.

“This is a little bit out of left field,” said McElroy. “But the question was asked of me… [by] a very much in-the-know person that I have a lot of respect for. 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.”

As we saw with current North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick, there will always be a market for legendary coaches like Saban. So if he does want to return to coaching, he will almost certainly have suitors available.

But ultimately, it will come down to whether Saban is willing to give up what has quickly become a promising media career to dive into the ever-changing landscape of college football, which Saban has admittedly bemoaned in the past.