Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; ESPN analyst Nick Saban before the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Nick Saban Finally Responds to Rumors About a Possible Return to Coaching in 2026

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 7:53 AM ET

Back in the winter, WVU athletic director Wren Baker considered making a run at former Alabama head coach and West Virginia native Nick Saban when he relieved Neal Brown of his duties at the end of the 2024 regular season.

Baker told reporters, "I begged Coach Saban to let me come in and sell Miss Terry on one more ride, and he didn't think that would set me up for success."

In recent weeks, there's been some speculation about Saban returning to coaching in 2026. His former quarterback, Greg McElroy, sparked the conversation by saying someone "very much in the know" is pretty adamant that he will coach again.

During a recent interview with FOX and Friends, Saban addressed the rumors.

Will Nick Saban ever return to coaching? He reveals why he considered it two days ago! pic.twitter.com/j7YpGb2XVc
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) July 25, 2025

“I never really ever had a thought about getting back into coaching until two days ago, Miss Terry said I had to run the sweeper in the entire downstairs. So, while I was running the sweeper, the thought occurred to me - you know, when you’re a coach and you had a heck of a lot better job than this.

“But I’m really happy with what I’m doing right now. It’s exciting to still be involved in the game. It’s exciting for me to work with athletic directors, conference commissioners, people in congress to preserve the integrity of our game and continue to be able to create opportunities to help young people create value for their future that will help them be successful in their life, which is what we always try to do as a coach.”

Unless a big-time job opens next winter, we're likely to continue seeing Saban in his role on ESPN's College GameDay, while also doing things behind the scenes to help improve the game, as he mentioned in the interview.

Although Saban wasn't a serious player in the West Virginia opening, he did assist Baker in the search.

“I just talked to Wren a couple times about who was the best fit. Who was the best fit for West Virginia? It’s not just about coaching knowledge or what your record was in some other part of the country. How do you fit? How do you believe? How are you going to relate to the people? How are you going to be able to recruit the players you need to compete against the competition and dominate the competition? I think Rich is the right guy to do that," he said on the Pat McAfee Show.

"West Virginia University has always been very important to me. I grew up there being a big-time Mountaineer fan. Biggest thing that happened to me was when my dad would take me to one Mountaineer game every fall and that never leaves you. I remember when I was a kid watching Jerry West play basketball. That never leaves you. My heart’s always been with West Virginia. I actually coached there for a couple of years, and I love the people in the state. I’m happy that Rich is back and I think he’ll do a great job there. Being a West Virginia person, grew up about six or seven miles from where I grew up. I’m glad that he came back. He had great success there in the past.”