Paul Finebaum suggests Nick Saban take Miami Dolphins job, ditch Tua Tagovailoa if he returns to coaching

Paul Finebaum had a different take regarding Nick Saban and a potential return to coaching: the Miami Dolphins. That’s right, Saban should go back to the NFL, if he wanted to coach again, per Finebaum.

Ironically, Saban coached the Dolphins for two years in between his tenures at LSU and Alabama. It didn’t turn out as successful as he would’ve liked, but how about a second chance?

The additional irony would be Saban getting rid of his former QB Tua Tagovailoa if he went to Miami. At least, that was Finebaum’s suggestion.

“I want to go back to Nick Saban, if I could divert for a second, because that story came out of here yesterday from one of his former players,” Finebaum said on First Take. “And I know a lot of people thought maybe he would go to LSU. Nick Saban is not going to LSU … I don’t know what you think about this, but I have the perfect job for Nick Saban. 45 minutes from his brand new home in Jupiter, go down to Miami, shake that system up.

“Unfortunately, the first thing he would have to do as the Dolphins coach, where he once coach, is get rid of Tua Tagovailoa, a quarterback who won him a national championship. But I think if he got Jim Harbaugh money, which he is certainly deserving and maybe a little more, I think that’s where people want to look at Nick Saban ever resurfaced.”

Tagovailoa’s been solid throughout his NFL career, but has had his fair of struggles and injuries. Notably, he’s had concussion issues.

Saban put in Tagovailoa, when the QB was a freshman, in the second half of the 2017-18 national championship against Georgia, beating Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs. As Finebaum put it, Saban would have to ditch his former QB in his mind.

Saban went 15-17 in two seasons with the Dolphins back in 2005 and ’06, going 9-7 his first season but missing the playoffs. Miami didn’t fire Saban, rather he accepted a deal to return to college football by taking the Alabama job.

What’s funny is, Saban’s friend and former boss Bill Belichick returned to coaching this year, albeit not from retirement, and is coaching North Carolina. He’s a first-time college football coach. So perhaps Saban returning to the NFL and giving it a second shot is a more likely outcome rather than another college program. Although, the general consensus is that college football GOAT is done for good.