Nick Saban, widely regarded as one of the most iconic football coaches in history, will always be remembered for his monumental success with the Alabama Crimson Tide. However, his illustrious coaching journey had several key stops, including the NFL.
Saban had stints with the Houston Oilers, Toledo, Cleveland Browns, Michigan State, and LSU before becoming the head coach of the Miami Dolphins for two seasons, where he went 15-17.
Afterward, he found his long-term home in Tuscaloosa, coaching the Crimson Tide for 17 seasons and posting an eye-popping 206-29 record, winning six national championships and nine SEC titles. Yet, in his eyes, he left the game at the right time.
On Tuesday, during an appearance on “The Pivot” with Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder, Saban made a surprising admission, revealing that if he were to return to coaching today, he would prefer to coach in the NFL rather than college football.
“I loved coaching in pro ball, and if I were to coach today, given the current circumstances in both college and the NFL, I would choose the NFL. The landscape in college has changed so much.” Saban said.
While Nick Saban has no current intention of returning to the profession where he achieved so much success, he did raise significant concerns about the state of NIL and the mindset of players in college sports today. He emphasized that these issues are not the fault of the players themselves but rather a byproduct of the system currently in place.