As soon as news surfaced that Nick Saban was retiring, the logical next step in the thought process was that he would make the transition to the media world. Saban has been a natural during his Pat McAfee Show appearances. As Awful Announcing’s Chris Novak penned in the hours following the legendary head coach’s retirement, it’s not like it’s unfamiliar territory for the 72-year-old Saban.
He has previously made appearances on ESPN during its coverage of the College Football Playoff, except when Alabama was involved, of course. And with the Worldwide Leader set to have exclusive coverage of the SEC for years to come, Saban seems like a logical fit for the network.
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Well, it takes two to tango, and according to ESPN’s Rece Davis, who conducted a one-on-one interview with the outgoing Crimson Tide head coach, Saban is really interested in broadcasting.
"Nick Saban wants to continue to have a voice at Alabama and he's gonna have an office at Bryant-Denny Stadium..
He's still gonna be involved and he's really interested in broadcasting" ~ @ReceDavis #PMSLive https://t.co/NVxMV4W18e pic.twitter.com/NKABNde3Oo
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 11, 2024
“He did speak quite a bit about wanting to be an advocate for the good of the game, whether that was to help find some parameters,” Davis said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show Thursday. “He really emphasized, and he really wanted it known — the NIL, transfer portal stuff — that did not chase him out of coaching. I think he managed that pretty well over the last few years. But what he says is for the sport to be sustainable so that it’s good for the players, that there needs to be some type of framework. And if he can be involved in any way doing that, he wants to continue to have a voice.
“He said they were gonna give him an office over at Bryant-Denny Stadium…He told some of the players, ‘I can get on your (butt) from there, just as easily as I can from here.’ He’s still gonna be involved. There’s no secret; I think that we know he’s really interested in broadcasting because he’s really good at it. You guys see that every week when he joins (PMS).”
There’s no denying Saban’s charisma and football acumen mind have captivated audiences during his Pat McAfee appearances. He has the intellectual depth and passion for commentary that thrives in the game. For a coach who dissects the game at such an adept level, it only seems like the natural evolution.
Saban’s likely transition to broadcasting seems like a win-win for both the now-former head coach and the network. His value in the broadcast booth and possibly the studio holds immense potential to reshape ESPN — or another network’s — college football coverage for years to come.
Update: Saban also addressed broadcasting in his interview with Davis that ESPN played Thursday night, and certainly seemed to show some interest there:
Nick Saban addressed his potential broadcasting future further in an ESPN interview with Rece Davis. https://t.co/nnPTFqJ9Sj pic.twitter.com/R51C8gNMZr
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 11, 2024
More Saban: "I’m going to keep working,. I don’t want to get up in the morning and watch Netflix. I want to do something … I’d probably like to do (broadcasting), but someone told me once you can’t start a broadcasting career at 80."
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) January 11, 2024
