Nick Saban reveals one SEC coach who's probably not happy with his decision to retire

Tennessee Volunteers coach Josh Heupel spoke on Tuesday during day two of the SEC media days before the college football season kicks off in earnest. One of the biggest scalps in Heupel's career was Alabama in 2022 when the Volunteers beat the Crimson Tide 52-49 in Knoxville.

Retired Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban in his capacity as an analyst for the SEC Network said that Heupel was probably one of the few coaches in college football who was not happy that he had retired, referencing that game in 2022.

“You’re [Heupel] probably one of the few coaches that are not so pleased that I retired since you guys put 52 on up at Tennessee,” Saban said. “I mean, you’re saying ‘I wish this guy was back.’”

The 52-point loss still stands as the most points conceded by the Crimson Tide during Saban's 17-year reign. It is also the second most points conceded by any Nick Saban team in his trophy-filled career, only bettered by the Nebraska Cornhuskers beating Saban's Michigan State Spartans 55-14 in 1996.

Nick Saban outlines issues Volunteers need to solve to top SEC

Josh Heupel's Tennessee had one of the best offenses in the country last season ranking at No. 19 with an average of 448.1 yards per game. However, the defensive side of the game was slightly underwhelming, allowing 335.2 yards per game which ranked the Volunteers at No. 32.

The retired Nick Saban was complimentary of the Volunteers' offense during the SEC media days and outlined the issues they need to iron out to be a truly top side in college football.

“I think that’s the key to the drill. Can their skill players, with their quarterback, make those kind of explosive plays?” Saban said. “Because when they spread you out the way they do, and they can make those vertical plays down the field — which they killed us with a couple of years ago when they beat us — because they’re gonna get their best player matched up on your safety because you’re spread out so much. And then that enhances their ability to run the ball.

“The question is, though, can they play and continue to improve on defense? Because that’s an area where they made tremendous progress in the last few years.”

Josh Heupel will get a shot at Nick Saban's former team when coach Kalen DeBoer's Alabama Crimson Tide travels to Knoxville on Oct. 19 to face off against the Tennessee Volunteers in a bid to be SEC top dogs.