Nick Saban Isn’t Returning To The Sidelines, But He’s Still Delivering Hits. Greg McElroy On Receiving End

There was a moment during SEC Media Days last month when the conversation quickly turned from the upcoming season, to Nick Saban potentially getting the itch to return to the college football sidelines, thanks to former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy. 

It did not take very long in Atlanta during that first morning of SEC Media Days for folks to start wondering if the legendary coach could end up putting the headset back on, given that the comments came on Monday morning at the annual event for the conference. 

Speaking on his radio show, Greg McElroy pointed out that someone he trusted had mentioned Saban was not done coaching. 

"A very much in the know person that I have a lot of respect for and have spent a lot of time around, and just really, really admire. They seem to think Nick Saban is not done coaching," McElroy mentioned on the ‘Mac and Cube’ show. "He's pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again." 

From that moment, Nick Saban has spoken twice about him being content, along with there not being a job that actually interests him, while he made it a point to say he enjoyed his years coaching. 

"There is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching. I enjoy what I am doing. I did it for 50 years. I loved it, I loved the relationship with the players, I loved the competition," Nick Saban explained on FOX & Friends. But it's another station of life now. I enjoy what I am doing right now and want to continue to do it. Spent more time with my family, my grandchildren. It's been really, really good."

And while there will continue to be conversations around whether Nick Saban is truly done with the coaching side of this business, he seems pretty content with his current job. Right now, Saban is continuing to promote his ‘Nick’s Kids' charity, which has been a massive part of his family's life. Also, his weekly gig with ESPN keeps him busy, with College Gameday set to begin this weekend. 

Also, he is still part of the Alabama athletic department, with his office being inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, while at the same time making us all laugh with his fantastic commercials, including one with Deion Sanders for Aflac. 

Nick Saban Return Talk Will Die Down, But He Still Had Jokes For Greg McElroy

But, on Monday night in Birmingham, the former Alabama coach was asked about the comments made by former quarterback Greg McElroy, with an answer that drew a laugh from the crowd during his Nick Saban Legacy Awards banquet. 

"I don't know where that came from," Nick Saban jokingly said.. "Greg McElroy played quarterback for us, and if he had done something like that as a player, he would've gotten his ass kicked."

There was also a moment during a press conference before the event started on Monday night where he was cracking jokes with local media gathered to cover his remarks. 

Nick Saban Isn’t Returning To The Sidelines, But He’s Still Delivering Hits. Greg McElroy On Receiving End (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

As for why he walked away from the sidelines, Saban explained that it was actually after the loss to Michigan and Jim Harbaugh that made him take a hard look in the mirror about the current era he was participating in. 

"Working 14 hours a day, the recruiting, the changes that we're going through in college football, the challenges that that presented was a little much at my age and the last year I coached, and the last game I coached against your buddy Jim Harbaugh was really, really difficult," Saban explained, via Mike Rodak. "So I thought it was the right time."

I think we can stop asking Nick Saban about a potential return to coaching, though his wife, Terry Saban, still wonders what he's doing home at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. 

"When I come home at three o'clock in the afternoon now, she says, 'What are you doing here?' I say, 'I live here.'"

Sounds like Coach is enjoying ‘retirement’, though I'd imagine he still doesn’t enjoy being away from the field in the afternoons, or having to answer for it.