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Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin won't be surprised if Nick Saban returns to coaching in the NFL. On Tuesday's episode of Theo Von's "This Past Weekend" podcast, Kiffin discussed Saban's retirement from college football coaching.
Last year, Saban walked away from his head coaching position with the Alabama Crimson Tide after 17 seasons.
"I do (think he misses coaching)," Kiffin said. ... "He’s just so wired to all day long to do something for his entire life, now he’s not going to sit around and just, you know, be a grandpa? That’s not him."
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“So I think because of that, that’s helped a lot. I wouldn’t actually be surprised if he came back in the NFL, even as head coach, because he’s just so good at it, and it's so in him that I’m not sure he won’t come back." (48:10)
It's believed that the implementation of the NIL program, as well as new transfer portal rules in college football, motivated Saban's decision to retire. Now, Saban serves as an analyst for ESPN on "College Gameday" and is expected to be part of the network's coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft next week.
Nick Saban and his NFL head coaching experience
Saban had brief stints in the NFL during the 80s and 90s on coaching staffs. The legendary collegiate coach served as the defensive backs coach for the Houston Oilers from 1988 to 1989. He then served as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns from 1991 to 1994. In 2005, Saban left his head coaching position with LSU to take the same job with the Miami Dolphins in the NFL.
He didn't see the same success in the NFL as in college. Saban led the Dolphins to a 9-7 record in 2005 in his first season with the team, missing the playoffs. The following season, Saban and the Dolphins went 6-10 and finished last in the AFC East division rankings. After that season, Saban opted to leave the NFL and become the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
His decision, while scrutinized at the time, ultimately paid off, as Saban led Alabama to six national championship victories.
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