Nick Saban has been on the receiving end of some criticism after President Trump’s college sports roundtable last Friday, but some people are actually sharing Saban’s same sentiments.

The former Crimson Tide head coach spoke about players getting an education and creating value for themselves aside from just playing for the highest bidder.

Interestingly, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stepped in to defend him.

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“Coach Saban is spot on,” DeSantis wrote on X. “Contrary to what some have suggested, he supports players being able to earn money through NIL but recognizes that the current system is not sustainable on a number of levels. Reform is needed — and needs to happen soon.”

DeSantis doubled down on Tuesday morning amid a serious twisting of the narrative from what Saban actually said, again defending the legendary head coach.

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“It’s been sad to see the clearly false and manufactured narratives about Saban’s comments. You can support players freedom to monetize their brands while also acknowledging the model of ‘collectives’ leave much to be desired,” he wrote.

In today’s day and age, any point which someone questions whether player earning potential should be capped, is met with a flurry of reactions. In Saban’s case, as well as SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, the conference representatives have been accused of wanting a system where only the SEC can pay players, and in doing so, gain an advantage over the rest of the sport.

The reality for Saban is that, as someone who has helped develop countless young men into NFL stars and successful adults, he believes he is acting in the long-term best interests of student-athletes.

Whether college sports will return to a model that prioritizes education and long-term success both on and off the field remains to be seen, but having a voice like Saban’s in the conversation increases the chances.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban is always thoughtful and honest when speaking on the current state in college sports especially since retirement, and Friday afternoon at the White House was no different.

President Trump hosted a roundtable event on the future of college sports focused on solving issues like NIL and the transfer portal, and Saban was one attendee on a long list of distinguished guests.

While giving his take on what needs to happen to restore some order to college football and the rest of the sports, Saban offered a perspective not many think of: players creating value for their futures both through athletic achievement as well as the ultimate goal of getting a degree.

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“We have a challenge here today on the ramifications of the current system on how it helps players be successful in their future and how we can impact and create a system that will help and preserve the opportunity for student athletes to be able to have success in their future beyond athletics,” Saban said.

“How much does anybody talk about getting an education anymore? Nobody talks about it at all, which is the most important thing any of these student athletes can do in terms of enhancing their future…We need to come up with a system to allow student athletes in all sports, including women’s and olympic sports, to enhance their quality of life, while going to college — but still provide opportunity to advance themselves beyond their athletic career.”

Trump is planning another executive order to try to return college athletics back to a similar system of old, however it will unquestionably face challenges in court. With voices like Saban in the room however who clearly have the best long-term interest of the athlete at the front of mind, perhaps this unique set of challenges can be tackled.

President Donald Trump hosted a college sports roundtable on Friday to discuss the existential issues facing the game today with things like NIL, the transfer portal, eligibility issues, and everything in between.

The event featured names like Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Greg Sankey, and numerous others to focus on finding a direction forward that allows athletes to profit on their name while also preserving what makes college sports great.

Trump talked about Congress needing to approve a set of guidelines that can be agreed to, including common sense rules that are actually enforceable — something which obviously has not been the case for years now.

“Federal legislation must allow college athletic programs to set common sense rules — simple common sense rules — without endless litigation, and establish a fair name, image and likeness standard that eliminates the patchwork of conflicting state laws,” Trump said Friday. “If Congress does not take action fast, it could destroy college sports and destroy the colleges that play these sports.”

Trump discussed the fact that he is not trying to ban athletes from profiting, but rather end the pay-for-play recruiting system which has marked this current era of college football and basketball.

“Our goal is not to go back to the days where student athletes were never allowed to receive any compensation, although not the worst idea, but I think a lot of people would overrule me on that,” Trump said. “But we must pass reforms that protect the cherished American tradition of college athletics, for future generations…I have a really nice, simple idea, but we’ll go through this process. I think we’ll get it through Congress. We have a good chance, I think it’ll be very bipartisan.”

Trump teased an executive order to release sometime this week, which if it happens, would be the second time he has used executive power on this issue. Time will tell if it actually gets solved. However, for the first time in a long time, it does seem like legitimate steps are being taken.

President Donald Trump hosted a historic roundtable event on Friday afternoon at the White House with some of the most distinguished figures in the world of athletics, alongside cabinet and elected officials from across the nation, to discuss the ongoing issues in college sports and how best to proceed.

Amidst all the chaos the last half decade has brought, particularly to the sport of college football, two men at the center of it all are former Alabama head coach Nick Saban and current SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, both of whom were in attendance at the White House Friday.

Saban offered his unique perspective from a coaching standpoint about development both personally and professionally of young athletes. Sankey on the other hand brought a more existential point of view about the future of college sports if things keep continuing the way they have been in the areas of NIL and the transfer portal and the complete lawlessness that come with each.

Both men raised some excellent points.

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“I come here today with a question,” Saban said after expressing his appreciation for being invited to join the distinguished panel.

“What are the guiding principals for the future of college athletics [both revenue and non-revenue]? My goal as a coach for our players was to help them be more successful in life, that we would create an atmosphere and environment that would help them through personal development, academic support and help them develop a career as a football player so they were creating value in life and we were preparing them for their future past athletics.

“So, what happened? In this current system that we have, that became impossible to do because people instead of making decisions about creating value for their future, they were making decisions about how much money could they make at whichever school they could go to or transfer to… We need to come up with a system… to allow student athletes in all sports, including women’s and olympic sports, to enhance their quality of life, while going to college — but still provide opportunity to advance themselves beyond their athletic career.”

During Sankey’s portion, he spoke about the structure of the current system, or lack thereof, and establishing national standards for both NIL and the portal.

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“In college sports we move young people from Adolescence to adulthood through education, through becoming part of a community which they otherwise would have not experienced and the opportunity to build a legacy,” Sankey said.

“In the current environment, each of those elements is interrupted. Transferring four or five times — I have a basketball player in my league on his sixth campus — does not provide educational achievement opportunities like we should demand.

“We cannot go on longer in this circumstance. This is not about revenue, this is about structures and national standards for eligibility, for transfers, for medical care and mental wellness care, for transparency and accountability around Name, Image and Likeness activity will fracture more if we fail to act. That’s why the appreciation, Mr. President, for the gathering, is most sincere.”

President Trump stated during the roundtable that he is drafting another, more comprehensive executive order to attempt to restore order in college sports. Undoubtedly, this will be challenged in court and likely face some serious hurdles.

The SCORE Act was also referenced as a federal legislative fix, which would offer a broader and more durable solution than relying on executive action alone.

All told, Friday’s roundtable could drive legitimate action to address something that is unanimously agreed upon to be a major issue.

President Donald Trump made some headlines last week when it was revealed he was doing an appearance with one of the more prominent college football media personalities in Josh Pate.

Among the topics discussed was former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who played golf with Trump, former Florida and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis the week prior.

Pate pried into what conversations between Trump and major figures in college football are like, and the President downplayed the football aspect, saying they talk more about politics than the sport.

“They talk to me about politics really, more so than football they like politics,” Trump said. “They’re all, obviously, very competitive people. But I would say for the most part we talk about politics. They want to know what’s happening with Iran. How’d you do that with Venezuela.”

Ironically, Saban has said in the past how much Trump is a fan of sports and wants to talk football when the two get together, so perhaps the two find common ground somewhere in the middle.

Saban has been one of the biggest advocates for NIL centered reform in the political landscape, and while Trump has taken some action, ultimately legislation has been unable to be passed.

Perhaps if the legendary head coach can stay close with Trump, he can encourage the President to help assist in making changes before it’s too late.

Now that legendary former Alabama head coach Nick Saban has been retired for a couple of years, it’s easy to look back and wonder what could have been had he not taken the job in Tuscaloosa back in 2007.

When Saban left the Miami Dolphins to take over the Tide, he was just two games below .500 in total at 15-17, and was a quarterback away from experiencing some real success. Before his final season in the NFL in 2006, he nearly landed that quarterback in New Orleans Saints Hall of Famer Drew Brees.

Brees was a free agent after Saban’s first year in 2005, and Saban wanted to sign him, but infamously, the Dolphins medical staff did not clear him from a torn labrum that ended his season with the San Diego Chargers, and he ended up with the Saints.

During an appearance with “The Dan Patrick Show,” Brees told the story of the visit to Miami which nearly altered the course of football history both in college and the NFL.

“On paper, this was the easiest decision in the world. It’s the Miami Dolphins all the way,” Brees said. “Nick Saban is the head coach, has done an outstanding job on that defense, one of the best defenses in the league — Zach Thomas, Jason Taylor. Like, they had finished that last season, the previous season, winning seven in a row…On my recruiting trip there, we’re eating dinner on (team owner) Wayne Huizenga’s yacht. And he’s sitting there talking about how every summer we’re going to go to Scotland and play golf ‘me, you and Dan.’ I’m like, ‘Dan?’ They’re like, ‘Yeah, Dan Marino.’ I’m like, oh, so Dan is like my mentor now? You know what I mean? Like, this is the greatest thing ever, you know? State of Florida, no state income tax. I’m like, I mean, this is a no-brainer, right?”

“But also on that trip, they put me through, like, this rigorous health inspection basically, like, six hours of testing – contrast, MRI tube, you know, where I’m in the MRI, literally, for two hours. And they’re trying to assess just the damage that was done to my shoulder and the chances of me being able to come back and be the same…And at the end of the day, Nick Saban looked me in the eye and said, ‘You know, our doctors think you have a 25 percent chance of ever coming back and playing again.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, OK, I know what they say, but what do you think?’ He’s like, ‘I got to believe what the doctors are telling me. But we still want you, but it’s just letting you know kind of what’s been said.’”

As a result, Brees wound up signing with the Saints, won a Super Bowl, and Saban was at Alabama a year after the fact. Had Brees come to Miami, perhaps it could have been the Dolphins who found team success, and perhaps Saban would have turned down Alabama entirely.

Of course, Tide fans are thrilled with the way things worked out, but it is fascinating to look back and think about what could have been if the team doctors saw things differently.

Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.

The biggest games in sports always bring out all the biggest stars, and this was certainly the case in Miami for the national title game between the hometown Miami Hurricanes and the eventual champion Indiana Hoosiers.

As it turns out, President Trump was in the crowd, and he got to take in some of the action with the greatest of all time in former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban.

In photos shared to Instagram by Lara Trump, Saban can be seen in a box with the President during the game, likely chatting football and potentially the future of the sport as well.

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Saban has met with Trump several times in an effort to discuss the ongoing issues in college football that are defining the era, and if things are ever going to get under control with or without government intervention, Saban will be a huge part of the reason why.

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban left college football during a time the sport was rapidly changing. He’s made his feelings pretty clear about NIL over the years and is not afraid to throw a little shade about it.

The time of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) has leveled the playing field like never before, and the Big 10 might just be on the cusp of its third straight national title as a conference.

Interestingly, Saban and many others have pointed to NIL and the transfer portal as reasons why that may be the case.

Saban doubled down in a hilarious quip on “The Pat McAfee Show.” On the day of the national title game between Indiana and Miami, he revealed the real reason why Big 10 schools are getting such great talent.

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“To me, in this day and age of the culture we have in college football with paying players, [NIL], and transferring, it’s an advantage to the Big 10,” Saban began. “I don’t care, you will never convince me otherwise … because people in the south would not go to the north unless you paid them.”

While Saban was being humorous, he does make an interesting point in how Big 10 programs are starting to match talent with the SEC.

In terms of NFL draft picks, there is still not a conference with better athletes than the SEC, but the Big 10 is catching up, and in the process, filling up their trophy case.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban left his mark on college football in countless ways before retiring two seasons ago, but his influence has rarely been more visible than it is during this College Football Playoff.

Headed into the quarterfinal round of the 12-team field, more than half of the eight teams remaining were coached by former assistants of Saban at Alabama. As fate would have it, the final four wound up being all Saban disciples.

With Indiana and head coach Curt Cignetti — a former wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator in Tuscaloosa — cruising over former Alabama graduate assistant Dan Lanning and his Oregon Ducks to the national title game, they enter as a heavy favorite.

Standing in Cignetti’s way from completing one of the most improbable college football stories in history is former Crimson Tide offensive line coach Mario Cristobal and his Miami Hurricanes, who have made their own surprising run to the title game after barely making the playoff field.

Cignetti against Cristobal guarantees that someone who coached under Saban will win the title, something which may be a tough pill for Alabama fans to swallow after they opted not to go with a coach from his tree in order to replace the greatest of all time.

Regardless, it is more clear than ever just how influential Saban was in the sport of college football, and his lasting legacy will be displayed through the coaches who cut their teeth and were forged in the fires of working for him.

The Alabama Crimson Tide is getting set to take on the Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl, their first playoff bowl game under Nick Saban’s successor Kalen DeBoer.

While Saban clearly still has his fingerprints all over the Alabama program, Tuscaloosa is far from the only place he made a massive impact.

Perhaps there is no clearer evidence of just how deep Saban’s roots still run than by looking at the coaches who still remain in the College Football Playoff.

With eight teams still left standing, five of them — not even including Alabama — are led by a head coach who at one time worked for Saban in an assistant capacity.

Dan Lanning, Oregon

Lanning had the least prominent role on Alabama’s staff under Saban, but the Ducks head coach got his first real coaching break when he was hired as a graduate assistant for the Crimson Tide on the staff for the legendary 2015 national championship team.

After a year learning from the GOAT, Lanning moved on to Memphis to become a linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator, and eventually he found himself working under Kirby Smart at Georgia as a co-defensive coordinator for four years before being hired by Oregon.

Curt Cignetti, Indiana

Cignetti’s Hoosiers team has been the story of college football this season, sitting as the undefeated No. 1 ranked Big 10 champions and taking the sport by storm.

His rebuild of the Indiana program though was built on the heels of his time on Saban’s first staff at Alabama, having served for four years as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator before he eventually moved on. His long journey has him on the cusp of continuing to make history, and he has often credited Saban for helping make him into the coach he is today.

Kirby Smart, Georgia

Smart might just be the biggest success story from Saban’s coaching tree, famously working at Alabama from the moment Saban took over in 2007 all the way up until he received his dream job leading his alma mater.

From 2008-2015, Smart was Saban’s defensive coordinator and oversaw some of the best units in the history of college football.

Helping Alabama win five SEC titles and four national championships, Smart has won two titles of his own in Athens and likely is not done winning them either.

Mario Cristobal, Miami

Cristobal has taken some time to build Miami into a real championship contender after spending 2013-2016 in Tuscaloosa, but his Hurricanes have improved every year and are now the premiere program in the ACC and a perennial threat to compete for a playoff spot.

During his time at Alabama, Cristobal served as the assistant head coach, offensive line coach, and recruiting coordinator, helping secure some of the best classes of Saban’s tenure as an elite recruiter and guiding some spectacular offensive line play as well.

Pete Golding, Ole Miss

Golding wound up as head coach of the Rebels under some absolutely crazy circumstances following the Lane Kiffin fiasco, eventually being named the permanent head coach after Kiffin left for LSU.

Golding spent half a decade as Alabama’s defensive coordinator under Saban from 2018-2022 before he was eventually hired in the same role at Ole Miss.

He was likely always going to be a head coach sooner than later, and now he gets his first chance with an Ole Miss program that is in a phenomenal spot as a yearly playoff contender.

The Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, going up against the No. 1 team in the country and sitting as a touchdown underdog.

Just looking at the logos though and considering the history of each program, it would be easy for Alabama fans who may not watch much of the sport outside of the SEC to think the Crimson Tide should be the ones who are favored here.

This Indiana team is the Vegas pick for a reason, and if Alabama fans needed a reminder, former head coach Nick Saban issued a stern warning to fans who are taking the Hoosiers lightly.

During a Tuesday appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Saban offered praise to Indiana and Curt Cignetti, sharing his belief that the Hoosiers are not getting enough respect.

He even shared a story about his golfing buddies — who of course are Alabama fans — and having to tell them that they should not be seeing this game as an easy victory.

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“You know, the guys I play golf with, we’re on the first tee, and the guy looks at me and says, you know, ‘we should be able to beat Indiana. That should be a win for us.’ And I said, ‘What are you talking about? Indiana’s got a really good team,'” Saban said.

“He says, ‘I just can’t get around my head that it’s football, that they’re really good in basketball, but not in football.’ I said, ‘You better get it in your head, because they’ve been good last year and they’re really good this year.’ I said ‘Did you watch them beat Ohio State and how physical they play?’

“So to your point, I think in the outside world away from Indiana, people still don’t have the proper respect for Indiana. Now I’m not saying that’s true for Alabama’s football team, I know their coaches have respect, and I know the players have respect, and I know they know it’s going to be very, very challenging matchup for them,” Saban continued.

“But I’m just saying from a fan perspective, because, you know, fans look at the game, you know, from a technical standpoint, like the greatest human and Indiana is a damn good team. And I just think on a national level, people still don’t see them as a great team that they are.”

It’s hard to say many fans are taking this one lightly with the spread so far in the favor of Indiana, but for any Alabama fan who assumed it was going to be easy for the Tide, perhaps a warning from the GOAT will change their mind.

Nick Saban traded playoff prep for family time — and a hilarious Christmas card.

One of the main reasons former Alabama head coach Nick Saban hung up the whistle  was to be able to spend more time with family. Especially at this time of year when he’d normally be gearing up for a playoff or national title game.

While he’s certainly been able to spend more quality time with family, it doesn’t mean there hasn’t been some holiday hijinks going on in the Saban household. More specifically, the Saban family Christmas card.

During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Saban was asked about an infamous edition of the yearly card — in which he was playing an accordion. Saban assured McAfee the Christmas card was not pre-approved by him.

“I did,” Saban said, when asked if he actually plays the accordion. “My grandma Saban made us actually all learn how to play accordion when we were kids. One of the reasons why I started playing ball when I was nine years old was to get out of going to accordion lessons.”

At that point, McAfee’s crew pulled out a close-up image of the Christmas card, which featured the musical Sabans, and the host pressed the legendary head coach on the logistics of the picture.

“I had nothing to do with it!” Saban said. “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone, but you don’t need to see me playing accordion!”

It’s safe to say, fans have gotten to see a whole different side of Saban since he called it a career coaching wise. One thing’s for sure, it has produced some glorious content.

“Remember the Rose Bowl, we’ll win then.”

That line is from the University of Alabama’s famous fight song, “Yea, Alabama!” For a number of decades, the song’s historical Rose Bowl reference had little meaning for Bama students and younger fans.

That’s because Alabama could not play in the Rose Bowl. Two conferences nowhere near the Southeast had contracts to send their conference champs to the Rose Bowl on January 1.

For years, it was a contest between the Pac-10 champion and the Big Ten champion.

No Alabama. No SEC.

That has changed.

On January 1, 1926, Alabama had been invited to the Rose Bowl for the first time. Until that date, college football was considered to be a West Coast and Northeast thing.

Southern teams weren’t taken seriously. Alabama had a great team. In the 1925 season, they were 10-0, winning the Southern Conference championship in their first-ever perfect season. They were led by third-year Coach Wallace Wade.

The 1926 Rose Bowl showcased the best of the South vs. the best of the West, with Alabama vs. Washington. It was anticipated to be a close game and was, with Bama winning 20-19.

That game put Alabama on the national football radar. They have mostly stayed on that radar screen ever since and gradually developed into the most-watched team in the country.

The very next year, it was Alabama back to the Rose Bowl for the second year in a row—and an even closer game. The defensive struggle ended with Alabama 7, Stanford 7. In those days, there were no overtimes, so a tie was a tie.

Bama suffered its first loss in the Rose Bowl in 1937, losing to California 13-0.

Then it was back in the win column in 1946, with Alabama 34, USC 14.

That was the last Alabama trip to the Rose Bowl for 74 years, as the conference tie-ins prevented the Tide from going.

By 2020, the conference tie-ins to the Rose Bowl were gone with the wind. Now, the Rose Bowl would, in many years, feature a preliminary round in the College Football Playoff. Bama was back in that playoff game and returned to its winning way of nearly three-quarters of a century ago, beating Notre Dame 31-14. That Rose Bowl had been moved from Pasadena to Arlington, Texas, because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In 2024, Alabama went to the Rose Bowl in the College Football Playoff. They lost 27-20 to eventual national champion Michigan in overtime. It was a vital loss, as it turned out to be legendary Coach Nick Saban’s final game at Alabama. We didn’t know that until well after the team returned to Tuscaloosa.

Alabama’s all-time Rose Bowl record is five wins, two losses, and one tie.

Now, Alabama is going back to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2026. It just happens to be on the 100th anniversary of Alabama’s very first trip to the “granddaddy of them all” in 1926.

It’s another South vs. North Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day 2026, with Alabama challenging the No. 1 seed, undefeated Indiana. It will also test whether Alabama’s defense can contain Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Fernando Mendoza.

It’s an interesting thing. Since Bama made a comeback for the ages and won its game against Oklahoma, I have talked to five or six Alabama fans. None of them can remember the name of the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner from Indiana who Alabama now faces. Something tells me we will hear the name a lot in the buildup to Rose Bowl 2026 and during the play-by-play of the New Year’s Day game.

The announcers and commentators will inevitably compare Mr. Heisman to Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. Even Alabama fans will tell you that Simpson, his line, and his receivers have been inconsistent this season.

If there was ever a time for Ty Simpson to play his best game (and for his line to protect him, and for his receivers not to drop the ball), this is that time — playing the top-ranked team, facing the Heisman quarterback, in the Rose Bowl, on New Year’s Day, with perhaps the largest viewing audience.

For Bama’s pluck and grit have writ her name in crimson flame.

Jim Zig Zeigler is a contributing writer for Yellowhammer News. His beat includes the positive and colorful about Alabama – her people, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former State Auditor and Public Service Commissioner. You can reach him at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com

Nick Saban isn’t coaching anymore, but he’s still diagnosing what’s broken in college football pretty loudly.

Arguably the biggest controversy right now in college football is the expanded College Football Playoff field and the resulting guaranteed spot to a Group of 5 team despite them having zero chance to actually win a championship.

During a appearance on the Pat McAfee Show today, Saban strongly criticized James Madison, who made the playoff as the No. 12 seed to face Oregon in the first round.

JMU made it over Notre Dame for the final spot and left the Irish out of the field, something Saban found unacceptable.

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“Would we allow the winner of the AAA baseball league — the International League, I don’t even know the name of it — would you let them in the World Series? That’s the equivalent of what we do when JMU gets in the playoff and Notre Dame doesn’t,” Saban said.

“I don’t want to start any sh*t here, but…[the Group of 5] ought to have their own playoff…Just give them the money. Each school gets $4 million for playing the first round. Just give them $4 million and put Notre Dame in. Want to see Notre Dame and Oregon play? Hell yes. Hell yes.”

Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said he was going to stay busy in retirement, and that is exactly what he’s done to this point.

Saban just took his next big step, this time into the world of hockey, according to an announcement from the Nashville Predators.

Saban through Dream Sports Ventures LLC, an entity he controls along with his automobile business partner Joe Agresti, has purchased a minority stake in the NHL franchise.

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“Although I am now retired as a coach, I still possess a competitive nature and a great passion for sports,” Saban said in a release from the team.

“Being involved in a sports team in Nashville has always been a goal and the opportunity to partner in the Predators with a class act like Bill Haslam created the perfect scenario for us. The Preds are a great organization with a fantastic brand, and we are excited to be part of the future success of the franchise.”

“I am really looking forward to having Coach Nick Saban and Joe Agresti as a part of our ownership group,” majority owner Bill Haslam said. “Coach is one of the all-time greats in college football history and one of the winningest coaches in all of sports. We are excited to have him join us in our pursuit of championships on the ice in Nashville.”

Saban and Agresti have been in business together for over a decade and Agresti oversees the day-to-day business operations of Dream Motor Group, which along with Saban has become one of the largest car dealership groups in all of the South.

Now, the dynamic automobile duo takes on a very different challenge in trying to bring a Stanley Cup back to Nashville, something the franchise has not done since its establishment as an expansion team back in 1998. They made it to the Stanley Cup final back in the 2016 season, but were defeated in six games by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Perhaps with Saban now in the fold, some of his winning pedigree could rub off and allow the franchise to win their first title.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, widely considered to be the best in the history of the sport, is the least surprising inductee in history to the College Football Hall of Fame this week.

Ahead of the induction ceremony on Tuesday, Saban reflected on his life and career, from growing up in West Virginia to reaching the pinnacle of the sport again and again before eventually retiring.

Despite it not being a shock to anyone himself included that he is being inducted, the gratitude for the life he’s lived and lessons he’s learned on and off the field was not lost on the legend.

“Little did I know as a kid growing up in West Virginia pumping gas at my dad’s service station that some of those lessons that I learned — it was beyond my imagination that I would ever end up here,” Saban said via Mike Rodak of Bama 247.

“Regardless of any responsibilities I was ever given as a kid, washing a car — if there were any streaks left on that navy blue Buick, you had to do it over. There was always a reckoning for what I did. That helped me tremendously, I think, from an accountability standpoint, because my dad used to always say, ‘If you don’t have the time to do it right the first time, how you going to find the time to do it again?'”

Thinking about his high school career, Nick Saban talked about what certainly sounded like how his legendary philosophy of never being satisfied began to form, and in true Coach Saban fashion, he credited his coaches and his parents for drilling that into him.

“We won an extraordinary amount of games when I was a PeeWee player and a high school player that culminated in a state championship. And after every one of those wins, I got my ass chewed out pretty good by my coaches and dad,” he said. “After all those wins, I finally asked my mom once, ‘Why do I always seem to get reprimanded even when we win?’ She said, ‘It’s not about winning. It’s about you being the best you can be.’ Those lessons helped me develop a process that helped a lot of other people be successful, helped us be successful and helped the people I worked with give us a chance to be successful. I’d like to thank them for that.”

It’s safe to say that fans in Tuscaloosa — who cheered Saban’s team on to six national titles in the greatest and longest run of success college football has ever seen — might just owe all of those memories to Saban’s parents and high school coaches.

Even in retirement, Nick and Terry Saban continue to make it clear that their greatest work in Alabama extends beyond football. Their long-standing commitment to helping children grow into their fullest potential remains at the heart of their mission, and this week, that dedication was on display once again in Tuscaloosa.

At the Tuscaloosa River Market, 70 educators from schools across West Alabama were celebrated during the 14th Annual Nick’s Kids Foundation Teacher Excellence Awards Luncheon. The honorees represented Hale, Greene, Pickens, Fayette, Sumter, Perry and Tuscaloosa counties.

According to WIAT (CBS 42), the Sabans returned to Tuscaloosa to host the event, which recognizes educators who go above and beyond in their classrooms and communities.

Nick Saban reflected on why honoring teachers remains a central part of the foundation’s work. “You’ve heard me say it before – coaching is teaching, and teaching is the ability to inspire learning, and I think that’s something we want to recognize,” he said in the report.

Nick and Terry Saban break ground on The Saban Center, a new education and arts hub in Tuscaloosa with a statewide impact

Terry Saban emphasized how retirement has allowed them to be even more present for initiatives that matter deeply to them. “Now that we’re retired, we have more time to enjoy things like this, prepare for things like this,” she said. She added that throughout Nick’s final coaching years, finding balance became increasingly difficult, making this chapter especially meaningful.

Tuscaloosa City Schools shared that 17 of its teachers were among the 70 recognized, applauding their dedication and impact in a Facebook post celebrating the occasion.

Fayette Elementary School also joined in the celebration, announcing that Mrs. Amanda Musgrove was selected as one of this year’s honorees. The school congratulated her publicly and thanked her for the “wonderful job” she does each day for students.

Now in its 14th year, the Teacher Excellence Awards Luncheon has become a cornerstone of the Sabans’ philanthropic efforts. Each educator was recognized on stage and received an award certificate from Terry Saban.

For many, the moment was deeply meaningful. Verner Elementary special education teacher Dana Ortiz told the outlet, “To be honored by the Sabans is a big honor. It’s beyond my wildest dreams.”

Nick Saban has often spoken about the foundation’s purpose. In remarks highlighted in a school Facebook post, he said, “You’ve obviously set the standard for excellence in your profession for what you do for young people and how you help young people develop.” He added, “Coaching is teaching. Teaching is the ability to inspire learning.”

Educators attending the luncheon were also given a preview of several new hands-on exhibits developed for the Saban Center, the Sabans’ expanding education and STEM hub. The station reported that these features include:

– A working forest exhibit, developed in partnership with Westervelt, teaching students about environmental sustainability
– A drone center, created alongside the Tuscaloosa Police Department and Huntsville-based INTREPRID, demonstrating how drones are used across various career fields
– An electricity exhibit in partnership with Alabama Power, introducing students to circuits, currents and other energy-related STEM concepts

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at sherri@yellowhammernews.com.

Perdido Beach Resort, one of Alabama’s most iconic coastal destinations, has been purchased by a group of investors with deep ties to the state — including Ms. Terry and Coach Nick Saban.

Perdido Hotel Partners, LLC, an affiliate of Aurora Hospitality Partners, Joe Agresti, the Sabans and a select group of Alabama investors, announced the acquisition this week, securing the resort’s future under local stewardship.

Aurora Hospitality Partners issued a press release about the purchase.

For nearly four decades, the Orange Beach property has been a beloved family destination across the Southeast.

The new ownership group says keeping the resort in the hands of Alabamians reinforces its importance to the state’s tourism economy and preserves a Gulf Coast treasure for generations to come.

Aurora Hospitality Partners, the Alabama-based hotel management firm that co-owns the property and will oversee daily operations, emphasized its commitment to honoring the resort’s legacy while elevating the guest experience.

“We could not be more honored to steward a place that means so much to so many families across our state,” said Blair Plott, co-founder of Aurora Hospitality Partners. “It means a great deal to us that Perdido Beach Resort will move forward under the leadership of Alabamians who believe in the future of this community. Our focus is to build on its legacy and elevate the guest experience in a way that reflects the very best of Alabama.”

Perdido Beach Resort opened in 1987 and has remained under the ownership of Alabama businessman Jim Meadlock until now.

The property features 338 rooms, more than 43,000 square feet of event and meeting space and four food and beverage outlets.

As part of its longstanding practice, the resort will close for most of December and will reopen under the care of its new owners on December 30, 2025.

Aurora Hospitality Partners manages hotel properties under Marriott and Hilton brands. Its flagship property, The Alamite in Tuscaloosa — another property co-owned by the Sabans — earned the Marriott Tribute Portfolio Hotel of the Year award in 2024.

 Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at sherri@yellowhammernews.com.

ESPN’s College GameDay host Pat McAfee has one of the more popular daily shows in sports media, and this week, he had a very special guest join the program in the 45th and 47 President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.

President Trump made an appearance this week on the Pat McAfee show, and among the many topic that were discussed was formal Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, who has been at the center of trying to get the new era of college football to a better place since his retirement almost two years ago.

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“I know him, and I got to know him because he brought his team to the White House,” Trump began when asked about whether or not Saban could take on a prominent role in the administration to get a hand on the wheel of the direction for college athletics. “He had the team, you know, he won a lot, and I got to know him. He a fantastic guy. And, you know, he’s somebody that really, they should get involved in college sports in terms of making sure that, you know, it all works out. Because what’s happening is it looks like it’s not working out too well for colleges, for most of the people, and a lot of the lesser sports are being totally terminated.

“Nick knows this stuff better than anybody. He’d be — and he was … He’s really active in it. I think they ought to let Nick Saban take a good, strong look at it. And we all, I can tell you from my standpoint, I’d listen to what he has to say, but I know him well and he’s a fantastic guy and what a great coach.”

Originally, Saban was going to be heading up a college sports commission after an Executive Order from Trump along with wealthy Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell, however things didn’t play out that way after the legendary coach seemingly said that no such commission was needed.

While Saban likely has not changed his mind on the subject, it seems the most powerful people in the United States government are still trying to get him involved. It’s worth monitoring to see if anything comes of this.

Since former Alabama Crimson Tide legendary head coach Nick Saban hung up the whistle and chose to retire almost two years ago, one of the biggest positives has been seeing the way he’s been able to spend time with his family.

Coaching is one of the most demanding professions out there, and for as much as he loved it, he spoke about the fact that it cost him family time and this was one of his biggest priorities in calling it a career.

Fortunately for fans, Saban’s daughter Kristen has seemingly made it a point to allow fans a glimpse behind the curtain and shared numerous hilarious moments of her father. The latest came for Nick’s birthday, and as he was being sang to and being brought cake, Miss Terry was quick to let him know he needed to sit up from his recliner.

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As Saban made a wish and blew out the candles, it’s just the latest reminder that at heart, he’s a parent and a grandparent who loves his family above all else.

Despite rumors to the contrary, don’t count on him coming back to coaching anytime soon.

The upcoming coaching carousel across the SEC and really college football as a whole is shaping up to be the most insane we have seen in some time — maybe even ever.

With massive programs like LSU, Florida and Penn State all opening up and potentially more to come such as Auburn and Florida State, there is going to be a mad scramble this offseason to get the best possible head coach in place and beat other schools to do so.

With LSU surprisingly pulling the trigger Sunday and firing Brian Kelly, there’s all of the sudden is one of the very top of the line, elite jobs in the sport now open and wanting to take a big swing to fill it.

One name who has already been thrown around by fans and pundits since the Kelly news was announced? Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach — and national title winning coach in Baton Rouge prior to that — Nick Saban.

Of course, Saban retired from the profession now almost two years ago in no small part due to the changing landscape in college football — a reality which has only trended further in that direction since he stepped away. Not to mention the fact that he seemingly loves what he is doing now on College GameDay as well as the obvious added bonus of getting to spend more time with his family than he previously did.

Would Saban entertain the possibility of returning to LSU and trying to get the Tigers back on track though, even if it was just for a few years?

While every comment he’s made about returning since retirement has trended in the no direction, he has not completely shut down the possibility and has even alluded to potentially having interest in discussing the possibility if the opportunity were right.

Following a two-year reset and relaxation, there would be no better possible opportunity than going back to Baton Rouge and even having the chance to compete against his successor at Alabama in Kalen DeBoer.

If Saban doesn’t have interest in LSU, which certainly could be possible, you can probably dismiss the possibility of him ever coaching again for anyone.

But if that fire is still burning inside of him and the desire to coach, even if it’s for a shorter stint, is still there, this is the only real job for him.

LSU brass at the very least will at least make him say no, and until he does, a real coaching search does not begin.

Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.

Florida’s decision to fire Billy Napier has kicked the SEC coaching orbit into overdrive. Over the weekend, it also and revived long-shot chatter that Nick Saban could be a target. That prospect humorously drew the attention of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

In reality, Florida will attempt to land a premiere coach to fill the gap, with Lane Kiffin seen as their top target. But one publication spun another possibility.

Likely for the next decade every time a big job opens up, folks will link former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban to it. The Gators are no different, and @CFBTalkDaily on X reported that Florida would be interested in Saban if Saban were interested.

The report was essentially stating the obvious however, yet Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pointed that out with a hilarious post in reply.

https://x.com/rondesantis/status/1980233710034436154?s=46

“Sources confirm that I am ‘interested’ in winning the lottery,” DeSantis said.

The Gators hiring Nick Saban is about as likely as Saban coaching Auburn the next time they need a coach, it simply is not going to happen. Seemingly extremely happy doing College GameDay and advocating for the future of the sport, Saban has likely hung up the whistle for good.

Then again, never say never.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban obviously created the greatest dynasty in the history of the sport with numerous players who would go on to do incredible things at the next level.

His most impressive accomplishments though might just be his absolutely star studded coaching tree though, from Billy Napier to Steve Sarkisian and Mario Cristobal, countless current head coaches got their start — or second chance — in Tuscaloosa under Saban.

The best example of this might just be the most eccentric man in college football in Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. Arriving to Alabama after being fired at USC, Kiffin was instrumental in modernizing Saban’s offense and helping to continue the success of the dynasty before departing to become a head coach again.

Saban and Kiffin speak about each other often, and Saban made an appearance this week in an ESPN documentary about the roller coaster that has been Kiffin’s coaching career. The GOAT spoke during an appearance on the Pat McAfee show Friday about his experience with Kiffin and how much respect he has for him.

That doesn’t mean he actually sat down and watched the thing though.

https://x.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1971638750334931374

“Well, you know, first of all, I didn’t watch the documentary, because I lived it for three years. I think that was good enough for me,” Saban said with a chuckle before talking about his time at Alabama. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Lane….It’s a hard transition to go from being the boss to, you know, sort of taking the orders from somebody else, but he did a great job for us. He’s a great play caller, and I think he’s matured, you know, along the way.

“I mean, he’s had success everywhere he’s been since he’s left Alabama, and he had a tremendous amount of success at Alabama. And it does, in fact, make me really proud to see guys that really did a great job for us when they were coaches on our staff, to be able because they all had goals and aspirations to become coordinators, head coaches, whatever, to be able to see them fulfill that. You know, I always tried to make it good for the coaches, so they never wanted to leave. But I also wanted to help them develop so they would get the opportunities that they wanted in the future.”

Seeing Kiffin and Saban still speak so highly of each other surely will make Tide fans smile, and unless the Rebels are playing Alabama, Kiffin will always have supporters in Tuscaloosa.