Nick Saban recently sat down with ESPN's Chris Lowe to discuss a number of topics, including coaching in general and the factors that influenced his decision to retire from Alabama in particular.
Saban's comments have understandably gotten a lot of attention. When the goat speaks, everyone should listen. His perspective is informed and important. But there's a lot of depth and context to his statements beyond the basic headlines and bullet points – things like “NIL kicked out Saban” and “The players aren't the same.”
So let's dig into some thoughts on that. Before that, here are the relevant quotes:
The most headline-grabbing story concerned the team's reaction to its overtime loss to Michigan in the national semifinals.
“I want to be clear that's not the reason, but some of those events certainly had an impact,” Saban said of his decision to retire. “I was really disappointed in the attitude of the players after the fight. You have to win in your weight class, you have to lose in your weight class. You had a chance to win the fight and you didn't do it, but you showed your ass. , we deserved to lose.'' To get frustrated and throw your helmet or anything like that… that's not who we are and that's not what we've promoted in our program. ”
He then discussed postseason meetings with players.
“I thought we might have a hell of a team next year, but then I think probably 70 or 80 percent of the players you're talking to, all they want to know are two things: If they play What's the guarantee? They're thinking of moving, how much are they willing to pay?” Saban said. “Our program here has always been built on how much value we can create for your future and your personal growth, your academic success in graduation, and the development of your NFL career on the field. I am.
“So I say to myself, 'Maybe this isn't going to work out anymore, we just have different goals and aspirations, and what's important is how much money I can make as a college player.'” That's bad. I'm not saying that. I'm not saying that's wrong. What we're saying is that it's never been all about us and it's not the reason we've been successful over the years. ”
Now, let's break this down.
1. College football coaching has changed.
The powers that be in college football would have you believe that the sport is currently in a period of doom and gloom. So the story is that the NIL and the transfer portal destroyed the game, ruined the game, or did something to the game. Some of Saban's comments fit perfectly into this.
There's no arguing that the game has changed, and so has the job of coaching it. But Saban emphasized that this is just one side of the story throughout. He's also 72 years old, and he said it's difficult to maintain peak energy. Additionally, he couldn't promise new hires they'd stay for four years, and he was rapidly losing assistants.
It's not like a second stringer is going to ask about playing time — is that even a bad thing? — I just kicked him out.
2. But what industries remain the same?
Saban was best at putting together recruiting classes that were rated No. 1, often for three, four, and sometimes five years in a row. He not only attracted his five-star talent, but also his five-star employees and competitors. Life at Alabama was full of challenges and competition, but Saban's system provided the most proven route to the NFL, winning a national championship along the way.
It was understandably appealing. Maybe not so much now. Easy access to short-term capital and playing time through a penalty-free portal pared down to Saban's proven formula. Recruit and coach great players. I can understand why he chose to call it quits rather than adapt.
Similarly, like any good teacher, he seemed to find great motivation and enjoyment in developing his students and players. Saban always had a big smile on his face when talking about draft candidates and his one-and-done NFL stars. As the sport became more transitional and transactional, and time spent with children became limited, losing some of that naturally had a negative impact on his interest in continuing. It seems that.
It is a pity. It's a loss for college football. Sports are better with Nick Saban.
But what industries remain the same? If anything, the job of a college football coach is more similar to the job he had 20 years ago than the majority of professions.
Moreover, there isn't much that can be done unless the U.S. Supreme Court is replaced with new justices who take a different view of the relationship between the NCAA and the Sherman Antitrust Act than the current justices do.
3. The fearmongers were wrong.
“Probably 70 percent, 80 percent,” Saban said. his At the very least, the fact that teams were inquiring about moving him for playing time and NIL money is further proof that the initial fear-mongering surrounding those things was 100 percent wrong.
The initial fear tactics were that “Alabama will get all the best players” and that “the rich will get richer.” In fact, The Tide's talent pipeline was based on recruiting high school students, prioritizing things like luxurious facilities and proximity to home. As recently as five years ago, the sport was dominated by three to five teams, and Alabama was clearly at the top of that list.
But that's no longer the case. NIL and portals have spread talent across the country. The playing field continues to flatten, even if it only means reducing the depth of super programs like the Crimson Tide and adding pop elsewhere. If you were Nick Saban, that might not have been as appealing.
4. College football will be good in 2024.
It's worth noting that Saban isn't particularly negative in this story, even if the comments can be interpreted that way. He's much more analytical and fact-oriented, and that's consistent with the way he's always handled his business. This person is not a complainer, but a doer.
But many other coaches have spent their time disrupting the college football status quo. It did a lot of damage among old-school and hardcore fans who imitated that everything was terrible. But despite the conference realignment, I would argue that with a more competitive balance, new playoffs and the return of video games, this should be an exciting and promising offseason.
5. Players are happy
Athletes certainly see things differently than coaches. There are few complaints about their newfound freedom of movement or inflated bank accounts. In fact, even talented players who are eligible for the NFL Draft are choosing to stay in college rather than becoming mid-draft picks. Through 2019, 135 players were drafted early, part of a seven-year average of 115 players per year (2016-2022).
This year, that number was just 58. Given more rights and more earning power, more players are choosing to stay in college football, pursue championships with their teammates, and actually continue their education.
Maybe coaches see college football in a bad way, and maybe they see Saban in a slightly negative way. Actual athletes obviously don't. They seem to like it.
