Jimbo Fisher: 'I have great respect for Nick' Saban

Two months ago, Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher famously got into a heated back-and-forth regarding the impact that name, image and likeness (NIL) rights were having on recruiting. During the final day of SEC media days on Thursday, Fisher said that he's put the argument behind him and spoke highly of his former co-worker at LSU.

"We saw each other at the SEC meetings [in Destin, Florida]. I have great respect for Nick, had a great friendship with Nick," Fisher said, per ESPN's Harry Lyles Jr. "I respect him very much, and we all learn from different circumstances in which we have, and I have no ill will, no anything to him."

Fisher — whose Aggies program has had a busy week dealing with the suspension of wide receiver Ainias Smith — reiterated that the coaches' issues are in the past.

"I have great respect when we coached and done a lot of great things together, [we're from the] same part of the country. You know what I'm saying? But we never talked that way. We never called and talked and did anything. We're just like we always were," Fisher said. "Unfortunately, our thing went public. Sometimes that happens in this world. Nothing is private anymore, is it?"

During day two of SEC media days on Tuesday, Saban said for the second time in recent months that Alabama players made around $3 million in NIL deals in the past year. Saban added, however, that "name, image and likeness is not an issue for us at Alabama."

The Aggies and Crimson Tide are set to face off on Oct. 8 during Week 6 of the 2022 college football season.