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Nick Saban to Michigan football? One analyst says it's not impossible

Originally posted on Michigan Wolverines on SI
By Trent Knoop | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 4:44 PM ET

Nick Saban is arguably the greatest college football coach of all time. He won seven national champinonships -- one with LSU and six with Alabama -- along with being named AP Coach of the Year twice during his long tenure in college. Saban, who retired following the 2023 season, is now an ESPN analyst who talks about college football. Surely the 73-year-old former coach isn't thinking about coming out of retirement, right?

According to Saban's former QB at Alabama, Greg McElroy, he said there was a notable source who informed him that Saban is considering coming out of retirement to coach college football again.

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

"If it wasn't someone notable, I would never say a word. He is of firm belief that Nick Saban will coach in college football again."

While it's hard to believe we will ever see Saban on the sidelines as a college football coach again, CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli came up with five teams that would be the best fit for Saban. The second-best school on his list? The Michigan Wolverines.

Saban never conquered the Big Ten. He spent 22 seasons as a coach in the SEC, won 11 SEC titles and seven national championships. But, in five seasons at Michigan State, he won more than seven games in a season only once. He went 23-16-1 in conference play. You know it eats at him. You know he wants the chance to prove to the world that he's not a system coach who is only capable of winning in the SEC. He can win in the Big Ten, too!

Though probably not at Michigan State. Thankfully, it's not totally out of line to think the Michigan job could be open next offseason should things not go to plan in Sherrone Moore's second season. It's a blue-blood program that's won a recent national title, has a 5-star QB in Bryce Underwood and has the financial backing to continue making waves.

It's a turn-key operation. It's a much more attractive situation than a longer-term project like Texas Tech or Florida State would be.

Sherrone Moore, who signed a five-year deal to become the Wolverines' head coach, is entering his second season with the team. Michigan has shown just how patient it can be with head coaches, and if the Wolverines were to move on from Moore after the 2025 season -- a disaster would have to unfold.

Moore has shown he's able to win big games, but he's also been a great recruiter. Moore led the charge bringing in five-star Bryce Underwood, and with Moore as the head coach, NIL spending went way up. While it might be 'cool' to think of Saban wearing the maize and blue and coaching in Ann Arbor, the chances of it happening are next to 0%.

This article first appeared on Michigan Wolverines on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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