Nick Saban Weighs In On His Expectations From Alabama Football On Year 2 After a 9-4 Season Without Him

Nick Saban is heading off into his second year of retirement, and he seems to be enjoying it. He has become a key member of the College GameDay show, spending more time with his family and on the golf course. But the college coaching legend still finds time to keep tabs on his old stomping grounds.

Saban was the coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team from 2007-2023. During his time there, he compiled 201 wins and just 29 losses. This included 23 bowl games with 16 victories, nine SEC championships, and six national championships. Saban also helped four different players win the Heisman Trophy at Bama.

However, in their first season without Saban, it was a bumpy ride for the Tide. Under new head coach Kalen DeBoer, Alabama went just 9-4 in 2024. On the way there, they had some incredibly bad losses to unranked opponents in Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. They were losses that ultimately kept them out of the College Football Playoff.

But it was probably a bit lofty to expect DeBoer to go into Bama and immediately fill the massive shoes Saban left behind. That’s partially why the former coach of the school thinks they will rebound in the coming season.

“I don’t really have an expectation,” Saban said at the Charles Schwab PGA Tour Championship when asked about his expectations for Bama’s upcoming season.

“I know those guys are working hard to do the best they can, and it was a difficult transition with a number of players that moved. New system, new people. Players in the organization had to make adjustments. So, I would probably say everyone is a lot more settled in this year. And I hope they do extremely well.”

While it wasn’t a complete endorsement of good things to come for the Tide, Saban did sound confident that they should have more success next season. He also seemed quick to defend the poor first season that they had without him, citing moving parts and changes that forced the players to adjust. 

But now, without Jalen Milroe at quarterback, DeBoer and company are going to be experiencing some adjustments once again. It should be sophomore Ty Simpson taking over quarterbacking duties. Simpson is a redshirt sophomore who threw passes at times while Saban was still the head coach.

The good news for Bama fans is that they are usually loaded with exciting incoming recruits and transfers. This year is no different. DeBoer made sure to ensnare plenty of incoming freshmen for 2025, placing them in the top 10 recruiting classes in the nation. 

It didn’t immediately work out for Saban either. In his first season with Alabama in ‘07, he went just 7-6. Furthermore, 5 of those wins were taken away due to recruiting violations. So, Saban really went 2-6 in his first season with the Tide, officially. 

Good things should be on the horizon for DeBoer and Bama. It may have felt like a lackluster first season. But along with their shortcomings, they did get three ranked wins over Georgia, Missouri, and LSU. So, some of that tough Saban-like DNA still exists within the culture of the program.