As speculation swirls about a possible return to coaching for Nick Saban, LSU’s interim athletic director Verge Ausberry quickly dismissed the idea. Despite fans’ excitement over the thought of Saban back on the sidelines, Ausberry made it clear that such rumors hold no weight.
In an interview with Matt Moscona on ESPN Baton Rouge, Ausberry revealed that he stays in regular contact with the legendary former Alabama coach. From those conversations, he strongly believes Saban is content in retirement and has no plans to rejoin the coaching ranks.
Ausberry added a lighthearted touch to the discussion, joking that even if Saban ever considered a comeback, his wife, Miss Terry, would put a stop to it immediately. Her influence, he suggested, would outweigh any temptation for Saban to take another job.
Ultimately, Ausberry praised Saban’s impact on college football and his new chapter as an ESPN College GameDay analyst. While Saban’s presence in the sport continues through broadcasting, his days of roaming the sideline appear to be officially behind him.
That’s part of the reason Verge Ausberry wanted to address the speculation head-on. With rumors circulating about Saban potentially replacing Brian Kelly at LSU, Ausberry made sure to shut down the talk before it gained more traction.
He emphasized that while he doesn’t believe Saban has any desire to return to coaching, LSU still holds tremendous respect for him and what he accomplished during his brief but successful stint in Baton Rouge.
In fact, Ausberry joked that if Saban ever did change his mind and wanted to come back, he’d personally drive to pick him up and bring him to campus himself. It was a lighthearted way to express admiration for one of the greatest coaches in college football history.
Still, Ausberry reiterated that such a scenario remains purely hypothetical Saban seems perfectly content in retirement, enjoying life off the field and his new role as an analyst rather than a headcoach.
“Nick Saban and I have a standing conversation probably every two to three weeks,” Ausberry said. “We’re good friends, first of all. A person that I admire a lot. Coach Saban was joking. No way he’s coming back to football, okay? Miss Terry’s not gonna let him.
“That’s not gonna happen. Let’s get that out of the way soon, because if he was and he was interested, I will go drive and pick him up right now and bring him back. … I think that has run its course, okay?”
In what’s turning into one of the wildest coaching carousels in recent memory, rumors have been swirling about whether Nick Saban might come out of retirement. The former LSU and Alabama head coach is now in his second year as an ESPN College GameDay analyst, a role that earned him an Emmy in his debut season in 2024.
Despite his success in broadcasting, speculation continues to build. This week, LSU legend Shaquille O’Neal stirred the pot by claiming that the Tigers had been in contact with Saban about their coaching vacancy. His comments immediately reignited debate about a potential return to the sidelines.
However, Saban himself has done little to feed into that narrative. In a recent interview with On3’s Chris Low, he made it clear that he hasn’t felt any temptation to return to coaching.
While he continues to be mentioned anytime a major job opens up, Saban seems content with his post-coaching chapter staying connected to the sport through television while enjoying a more relaxed pace away from the pressures of the sideline.
“It’s not good for player development. I don’t know that it’s good for anything, just the direction we’re headed,” Saban said of the current landscape. “We’re letting G League players come play in college? Pretty soon, we’re going to have the New York Giants’ backup quarterback not getting enough development, so we’re going to send him to Penn State or somewhere else for a year to play.
“It’s crazy, absolutely crazy. Why not make these kids professionals, treat them like professionals and collective bargain the whole thing?”
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