The Michigan Wolverines have had several instances of interim coaches in recent years due to various scandals and violations. The latest, Biff Poggi, is leading the Wolverines for a second-straight game on Saturday when they take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Beforehand, Poggi appeared on ESPN’s College GameDay. During his visit, Nick Saban tried to get in some playful jabs at Poggi’s expense, but the interim coach showed that he can dole out the jokes as well.
Pat McAfee teed up Poggi to discuss his longtime friendship with Saban, which includes a business deal that didn’t quite go as intended.
Nick Saban: “When you were at Saint Frances, I never saw you coach a down… You were Jerry Jones. You paid the players and all that… Are you using the same philosophy at Michigan now?”
Biff Poggi: “Yeah, and I learned all that from you.” #CFB pic.twitter.com/nCzdWMualE
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 20, 2025
“Well, look, I know everyone genuflects to the greatest college football coach ever, but not me,” said Poggi. “I will tell you that we’ve been friends a long time. I don’t know, he called me five or six years ago. He goes, ‘Hey, guess what? I’ve been chosen for a Ferrari dealership.’ I said, ‘Oh, man, congratulations. Let me be the first guy to buy a car from you, and I’ll buy the coolest car they make, the 812 Superfast.’ ‘Oh, yeah, great. Perfect. I’ll have it all set up.’ I will have a beard down to my knees before I see that 812 Superfast. He’s driving it.”
“Here was the problem,” said Saban. “When we got right down to the transaction, you had alligator arms. You could not reach in your pocket. You could not get in the pocket.”
“You should ask the Rolls [Royce] dealer I just bought my car from if I have alligator arms,” joked Poggi.
Saban was undeterred in his desire to get one over on his old friend, switching gears to Poggi’s time with St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, which he turned into a powerhouse by funding 65 scholarships out of his own pocket following his stint as a successful hedge fund manager.
“When you were at St. Francis, I never saw you coach a down,” said Saban. “You were the owner. You were Jerry Jones. You paid the players and all that. You did the payroll. Are you using the same philosophy at Michigan now?”
“Yeah, and I learned all that from you,” Poggi zinged the former Alabama coach.
Poggi led Michigan to a 63-3 win over Central Michigan last week. He has the chance to go 2-0 in his role on Saturday before head coach Sherrone Moore returns from his two-game suspension.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.