This is an opinion column.
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Nick Saban’s desire to remain ever present in college football despite retiring as a coach has created a peculiar situation for Alabama football here at SEC Media Days.
It’s not fair to call it uncomfortable. That comes later, though. For now, all Saban has done is engineer an atmosphere here at SEC Media Days where he was the main focus of attention on the day new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer made his debut to the league.
I’ve been writing about college football’s offseason of change over the last couple months. At the middle of it all is Saban, who is considered the greatest college football coach of all time. No.10 in my series of 10 Burning Questions will define the future of Alabama football at a critical moment for the sport.
Is Nick Saban helping or hurting the Crimson Tide in his new role as an analyst for ESPN?
Saban walked away after the 2023 season, but almost immediately went to work for the TV company as an on-air personality. It’s like Saban and ESPN had the gig lined up for years. And good for them. ESPN’s main college football property, College Football GameDay, had grown stale like the smell of old beer at the end of a long tailgate.
Maybe Saban’s presence can give it fresh appeal and new life.
But with Saban creating headlines and receiving a continuous stream of compliments from all his former assistant coaches every day here in Dallas, it has been impossible to avoid comparing Saban directly with his replacement. Maybe that’s OK for now, but wait until Alabama loses a game and everyone looks to Saban for commentary on his old team.
It puts DeBoer in a tough spot, and the new coach from the West Coast was already going to be unfairly scrutinized as the guy tasked with following the GOAT.
10 BURNING QUESTIONS
Question 1: Will Isaiah Bond regret leaving Alabama for Texas?
Question 2: What does Nick Saban really think about Alabama?
Question 3: Where is the hottest seat in college football?
Question 4: Is Oklahoma ready for the SEC?
Question 5: Why is Horns Down so satisfying?
Question 6: Why are there no Black coaches in the SEC?
Question 7: Did Saban leave at the perfect time for Alabama?
Question 8: Who’s the biggest pretender in the SEC?
Question 9: Who are the SEC’s playoff contenders?
Proof? Look no where else than this very website. On Tuesday, the lead headline of AL.com, the top news website in the Southeast, was “How are Nick Saban and Kalen DeBoer similar?”
On Monday, Saban was the focus of SEC Media Days. On Tuesday, it was much the same. He then overshadowed DeBoer’s big day as Alabama’s coach and directed attention elsewhere — on himself and for teams like new SEC member Texas.
How does that help DeBoer?
I’m beginning to think that Saban’s new role for ESPN might make things even more difficult for DeBoer. If that’s the case, then Saban will be hurting Alabama in his new role as an analyst.
Saban even picked Texas and Georgia to play for the SEC championship. Doesn’t that mean he thinks the team he coached last year isn’t going to be as good without him? Talk about an all-time humble brag.
And it gets even more awkward, too.
Saban is working for ESPN and still getting paychecks from Alabama. Shouldn’t Saban be donating money back to Alabama at this point? After all, it was Alabama’s brand that resurrected Saban’s career after it began to fizzle in the NFL. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great partnership, and maybe it can still be beneficial for Alabama to keep Saban as close as possible, but, let’s face it, Saban’s role at ESPN isn’t helping his replacement.
It’s helping Saban and ESPN, and that’s it.
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One of Alabama’s public-relation employees is even here in Dallas shadowing Saban’s every move. But Saban isn’t talking one-on-one with local TV reporters in Alabama if they’re not affiliated with ABC, the parent company of ESPN. How does that help the University of Alabama?
In many respects, there is absolutely nothing similar between Saban and Alabama’s new coach.
DeBoer is easily the friendliest coach in the SEC — a league molded by the prickly persona of Saban — and hopefully it remains that way. But I’ve had multiple conversations with reporters here in Dallas who wonder if DeBoer is too nice for the toughest league in sports.
No, his personality is perfect for the SEC, and it’s good for Alabama, and it should be viewed as a positive trait that his demeanor is different from his predecessor. There’s only one Saban. Everything else is a cheaper imitation. Even Georgia coach Kirby Smart. Even Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. Even Texas coach Steve Sarkisian.
Those former Saban assistants all lack something that DeBoer uses to his advantage. DeBoer is different.
And let’s stop with the nonsensical idea that Saban is helping DeBoer recruit players to Alabama. That’s not the case. It is DeBoer and his staffers who suddenly have Alabama ranked No.1 in recruiting with the Class of 2025. The secret to DeBoer’s success on the recruiting trail is general manager Courtney Morgan.
There’s a reason Morgan was on the plane with DeBoer when he first arrived in Tuscaloosa from the University of Washington. It’s because Morgan is running the show behind the scenes and he absolutely dominates when it comes to recruiting.
How does Morgan give Alabama an edge in the SEC? I asked Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Booker about it on Wednesday.
“He gives us an edge as far as his prowess with recruiting,” Booker said. “He did a great job. I believe we have the No.1 class right now for the class of 2025 and he played a huge role in that, so I’m very glad to have him on our team. Because the more we get great players here, the better we’ll be.”
Pat Dye was the ultimate ambassador for Auburn University when he retired as the Tigers’ long-time football coach. He was on the sidelines before every game recruiting for Auburn. Retired Dye was an invaluable asset for Auburn. Saban has work to do if he wants to help Alabama in retirement the way Dye helped the Tigers.
For now, though, Saban is working for himself and stealing the limelight from DeBoer.
BE HEARD
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Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the book “We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban’s Ultimate Team.”