Oct 16, 1999; Wabash, IN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Michigan State Spartans head coach Nick Saban on the sidelines during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-Imagn Images RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Former Spartan Coach Saban to Return to Coaching?

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 2:47 PM ET

If there's one thing we know about the world of coaching, it's that nothing is ever really final.

Coaches have retired before and ended up in places nobody ever foresaw, i.e., Bill Belichick at North Carolina.

Since his retirement from Alabama, many have wondered if legendary college football coach and former Michigan State football coach Nick Saban would return to coaching.

The question was posed on Monday at SEC Media Days when former Alabama quarterback and host of "McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning," Greg McElroy, revealed some interesting information on the topic.

"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 said. " ... He's pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again."

McElroy asked guest expert Paul Finebaum if he believes it.

"No," Finebaum replied, without hesitation. "And Greg, you know Nick Saban better than I do, but I ran into somebody the other day who spends time with Saban in Florida -- you can imagine where. And he said that he is literally having the time of his life. And why wouldn't he?

"And I'm much closer to Nick Saban's age than you are, and I can assure you when you have everything you want and you start playing golf at the best golf clubs in America and you start making friends who belong to even better golf clubs and you make a lot of money for doing little work on TV, the interest in doing what he walked away from is not very high.

"I mean, he had a better situation at Alabama the day he left than he'll have anywhere he goes -- let's say it's next year. Now, I don't know whether it's college or pros -- I mean, could he be talked into something in the NFL? I don't know how because I don't think itch burns anymore either. But my opinion is Nick Saban is done in coaching."

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