Even though Nick Saban isn’t pacing the sidelines anymore, his presence is still felt during the game. Since ending his career in early 2024, the former Alabama head coach has left behind more than just a winning record; he has left behind a blueprint.
Saban’s influence can still be seen in every aspect of programs’ hiring and development of talent, as well as in how teams train. Not only does his absence stand out, but so does everything he left behind.
Could Nick Saban Actually Return to Coaching?
Still, in typical Saban fashion, it only took one offhand comment to get the rumor mill spinning again. In a recent interview, Saban joked about how retirement has mostly involved house chores, then laughed off the idea of returning to coaching.
“It’s amazing to me that came up in the media,” Saban said. “The media speaks for you and thinks for you.”
While some fans might be hoping that the GOAT isn’t done yet, one of his most decorated former players isn’t buying it.
“I couldn’t see Coach coming back to coaching,” Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry said during an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show.” “He’s enjoying his free time doing TV, being on GameDay, doing all these commercials. I think it would have to be something really, really meaningful.”
“I couldn’t see coach coming back to coaching… He’s enjoying his free time doing TV, being on GameDay, doing all these commercials. I think it would have to be something really really meaningful.”
–@KingHenry_2 on the possibility of Nick Saban returning to coaching. pic.twitter.com/SMPuqGrPmx
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) July 25, 2025
Henry would know. The former Alabama star, now an NFL powerhouse with the Ravens, flourished under Saban. In 2016, he helped lead the Crimson Tide to a national championship and racked up a Heisman Trophy in the process.
That year, he ran for an SEC-record 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns, putting together one of the most dominant seasons in college football history.
Why Does Henry Think Saban Is Done for Good?
But it wasn’t just the wins or the stats that stuck with Henry; it was Saban’s intensity, relentless attention to detail, and unmatched drive. For Henry, watching Saban finally take a step back from the grind makes sense.
“Times has changed,” Henry said. “Him being in college with NIL, I’m sure he didn’t really like that too much; it’s a different time now.”
Saban hasn’t really gone anywhere. He joined ESPN’s “College GameDay” and accepted an advisory position at Alabama, where his incisiveness and characteristic bluntness have already garnered media attention. He is off the field but close enough to the action to influence it, and he appears at ease in this new chapter.
Fans may still dream of a final run from Coach Saban, but Henry and others who know him best know that he deserves this time to unwind, think, and perhaps even enjoy those housework tasks, at least until football season begins.
