Nick Saban says he's not retired, and he's right

Nick Saban. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Nick Saban says he's not retired, and he's right

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Apr 29, 2026 10:06 PM ET

Nick Saban hasn't coached college football since the 2023 season. As a college football coach, he's retired.

One would imagine that most college football programs in the country would gladly help him unretire, and there might even be NFL organizations that wouldn't mind giving the 74-year-old another shot as well.

Saban clearly doesn't see things the way the rest of us do, though. He never has, and that's part of what made him elite as a college football coach.

He's still a working man, so as far as he sees it, he's not sitting around drinking mimosas and enjoying retirement.

He still has a job, as a football analyst for ESPN, and he enjoys what he's up to in his career after his career.

“I didn’t retire totally,” Saban told Paul Finebaum on Wednesday (h/t On3). “I just retired from coaching. I really enjoy working with ESPN, doing the draft, doing 'GameDay.' I do quite a bit of speaking. I’ve got a lot of time to do other things that I would never have time to do otherwise. So I miss coaching a little bit. I miss the relationships with the players, I miss the competition. But it’s a trade-off.”

It sounds like the trade-off is worth it for Saban, but one can't help but notice that he says he misses coaching "a little bit."

Could Nick Saban return to college football?

"Miss Terry says if you take a job, you're commuting."

Nick Saban on if he'll ever coach again pic.twitter.com/Ri9yjTaFD7
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) April 29, 2026

If that fire is still in there, and it clearly is, could he be coaxed out of his retirement as a head coach? Let's say the situation was perfect, because at this point in his life, money probably isn't a concern.

It does sound like Saban will take calls to be a head football coach again if he receives them, but everything has to run through his wife. It also can't upset the life he currently has.

“Well, when people call, all’s I can tell all the fans out there is Ms. Terry says, ‘If you take a job, you’re commuting.’ She’s not moving, she’s not leaving the grandkids. She’s not leaving any of that,” Saban said.

Saban lives in Jupiter Island, Florida, which is about two hours north of Miami. Mario Cristobal just took the Miami Hurricanes to the College Football Playoff national championship, and even though they lost, he has job security.

What that means is that unless Saban wants to resurrect his coaching career at Florida Atlantic University, which is still an hour south of him, he's probably not going to be making a comeback anytime soon.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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