Overview

• At the Nick Saban Legacy Awards in Birmingham on Aug. 18, Saban rejected rumors of a coaching return, saying, “I don’t know where that came from.”
• He named former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy as the source of the chatter and joked the ex-player would have been punished for such talk during his playing days.
• The speculation started after McElroy said in July on his radio show that a trusted source believed Saban was “not done coaching,” a remark that circulated during SEC Media Days.
• Saban said he misses team relationships but not the 14-hour workdays and recruiting, adding that he and Terry Saban have no regrets about his 2024 retirement.
• He remains an ESPN College GameDay analyst and an advisor to Alabama, and his comments cooled unretirement buzz as Kalen DeBoer enters a scrutinized second season.