Kirk Herbstreit Sends Strong Message About Nick Saban Coaching Rumors

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Kirk Herbstreit Sends Strong Message About Nick Saban Coaching Rumors

Key Points

  • Nick Saban retired from coaching following the 2023 season at Alabama.
  • A seven-time national champion, six of those titles came during his legendary tenure in Tuscaloosa.
  • Since retiring, Saban has joined ESPN’s “College GameDay,” appearing alongside Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, and Kirk Herbstreit.

With head coaching jobs opening up left and right across college football in recent weeks, it’s only natural for fans to speculate on who might emerge as candidates for some of the high-profile vacancies.

Among the most appealing jobs currently available are LSU, Florida, Penn State, and Auburn — and one name that continues to surface, despite his repeated denials, is seven-time national champion and current “College GameDay” analyst Nick Saban.

Saban, 73, retired from coaching following the 2023 season at Alabama, handing the reins to Kalen DeBoer. Since then, he’s joined “College GameDay” and appears to be enjoying every bit of his new role.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This week, his colleague Kirk Herbstreit addressed the rumors surrounding Saban, making it clear that the legendary coach has no plans to return to the sidelines and is as happy as he’s been in years.

“You couldn’t pull Nick Saban off the GameDay desk,” Herbstreit said on his Nonstop podcast. “Guys, you gotta stop bringing up Nick Saban for all these… he’s not going anywhere. My man is enjoying his life. He told me, ‘For 50 years I’ve been in a hurry.’ Now he’s got Mercedes-Benz dealerships and Ferrari dealerships.

“He’s the happiest he’s probably been in a long time — him and Miss Terry.”

Nick Saban personally addressed the coaching rumors surrounding his name, which is unsurprising given that many consider him the greatest coach of all time. He made his stance very clear.

“I wanna stay retired, and I do not want [Jimmy Sexton] anywhere near Miss Terry, because when she hears some of these numbers, she gets interested, and I ain’t interested,” Saban said.

Related: Nick Saban Set to Draw Attention to Steve Sarkisian on College GameDay

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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