"They paid his house off too": $80,000,000-worth Nick Saban's NIL comments ignite backlash from CFB fans

Nick Saban stepped down as the Alabama coach in January after 17 years in Tuscaloosa. He brought the curtains down on a five-decade-long coaching career after winning several titles and becoming a legend for future generations.

The name, image and likeness money has changed the landscape in college sports, and according to coach Saban, it wasn't what it was supposed to be anymore. At Tuesday's U.S. Senate hearing regarding college sports, he shared that his wife, Terry Saban, made him realize that the recruits weren't bothered about development.

“She said, 'All [the players] care about is how much you're going to pay them," Saban said. "They don't care about how you're going to develop them, which is what we’ve always done. So why are we doing this?'

"That was kind of a red alert that we really are creating a circumstance that is not beneficial to the development of young people, which is why I always did what I did.”

Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger took to X Tuesday to report the quote:

But Saban's comments didn't sit well with several college football fans and ignited an instant backlash. The fans reminded the 72-year-old about his lucrative Alabama contract that included a lot of perks. Some even asked if he was working all this while for free. Here are a few reactions from the fans:

"They paid his house off too," a fan wrote.

Nick Saban was flanked by Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne and Senator Ted Cruz as he spoke to senators about other issues surrounding college athletics.

While Saban, who is worth $80 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, did clarify that he was all for the NIL money going to the athletes as a means for them to create a brand, he called for a balance between that and player development as an aspect.

A look at Nick Saban's coaching career

Nick Saban started his coaching career in 1973, and after working his way up the ladder, he got his first head coaching job for the Toledo Rockets in 1990. The following year, NFL came calling and he took over as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, staying there until 1994.

He then returned to Michigan State as head coach, but it wasn't until his stint with the LSU Tigers that he managed to win his first national title.

After another stint in the NFL, this time as the Miami Dolphins head coach, he took over Alabama, where he cemented his legendary status. Nick Saban led the Crimson Tide to nine SEC championship titles and six national titles in his 17 years in Tuscaloosa.

Even in his final year, he came close to the national title after making it to the playoffs. But the eventual champions, the Michigan Wolverines, got the better of him in the Rose Bowl. Still, he is one of the most successful head coaches of all time at the college level.