Kirby Smart jokes he offered Will Muschamp's job to Nick Saban

Rumors about Nick Saban returning to coaching took off as SEC Media Days opened up after his former quarterback said an insider told him Saban wants to make a comeback, and after the coach was not included in ESPN’s coverage of the event.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart heard those rumors and when asked about the possibility, deflected the idea with some humor at the expense of a Georgia assistant.

“Yeah I called and offered him Muschamp’s job, but he was overqualified. He wasn’t interested,” Smart joked with reporters.

He added: “I heard all the scuttlebutt and everything about it, but I just laughed. It’s almost like someone wanted something interesting to talk about yesterday so they chose to go to Coach Saban to do it.”

Smart was referring to another rumor floating around SEC Media Days this week, that Will Muschamp was no longer with the Georgia program after his name wasn’t included in the team’s media guide.

But the Bulldogs’ coach said that was a printing error, and that Muschamp will indeed be involved with the football team this season.

As for Saban being involved with a team? Smart chalks the rumors up to the media needing some offseason material.

“That’s not happening. I don’t think Nick is coming back,” Smart said.

“I think he’s too happy where he is. I think y’all are lacking buzz and they needed some buzz yesterday. That was the only thing that could generate some buzz besides Lane and Hugh’s feud over the internet. There’s just not a lot there.”

Saban retired from Alabama boasting the single greatest run of achievements by any head coach in college football history, winning an NCAA-record seven national championships.

But former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy revealed this week that someone “very much in the know” told him that Saban was considering a return.

“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 on WJOX Radio in Birmingham.

“He’s pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again,” he added.

When asked about the particular source of information regarding that claim, McElroy replied: “If it wasn’t someone notable, I would never say a word.”

He added: “He is of firm belief that Nick Saban will coach in college football again.”

For his part, McElroy himself disagreed with that person, as the former Crimson Tide star said he does not believe Saban will return to football.

And aside from that mystery person, it doesn’t appear anyone else is buying the idea that Nick Saban is coming back to college football.

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