Tag: Nick Saban

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts laughs when asked about potentially getting another new OC

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts can only laugh when asked about potentially playing for another offensive coordinator if Kellen Moore gets the Saints job

Since his time at Channelview High School in East Houston, Jalen Hurts has only had the same offensive coordinator once in consecutive years.

On Tuesday, one day after Super Bowl opening night, Hurts laughed when asked about Kellen Moore potentially leaving to take the Saints’ job. Thus, the Eagles quarterback would once again have a new offensive coordinator o

Hurts, who spent three years at the University of Alabama before transferring to Oklahoma, never had consecutive seasons with the same play-caller at the collegiate level.  With the Crimson Tide, Lane Kiffin got the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic; Steve Sarkisian got the offensive coordinator job with the Atlanta Falcons; Brian Daboll got the offensive coordinator job with the Buffalo Bills.

During his NFL tenure with the Eagles, Shane Steichen was the only offensive coordinator with whom Hurts had multiple years.  That resulted in an MVP runner-up and his first Super Bowl appearance before Steichen landed with the Indianapolis Colts.

When Steichen was hired in Indianapolis, Brian Johnson was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. Philadelphia finished seventh in points per game (25.5) last season, but the offense struggled down the stretch as the Eagles lost six of seven following a 10-1 start. Johnson was fired and replaced by Moore, the former Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator, in February.

This season, with Moore at the helm, the Eagles’ offense was eighth in total yards (367.2), 29th in passing offense (187.9), and, most importantly, seventh in points (27.2).

Under Moore, Philadelphia rushed for a single-season club-record 3,048 yards (6th most in NFL history) and finished 2nd in the NFL in rushing yards per game (179.3), trailing only Baltimore (187.6). The Eagles are the second team in NFL history to rush for 3,000+ yards and 25+ TDs (29).

Philadelphia set a club record in passer rating (103.4) in 2024.

With Moore likely to land the New Orleans Saints job, Hurts will smile as he learns another offensive system.

2020 Alabama Crimson Tide named greatest College Football Playoff era team of all-time

2020 Alabama is still the GOAT of the CFP era.

With the Ohio State Buckeyes beating Notre Dame in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff title game this week, Ryan Day added his name to the list of coaches to win championships in the playoff era.

As a program, Ohio State tied Clemson and Georgia for the second most national championships in the CFP era, which began in 2014 with then-coach Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes taking home the title.

Alabama, of course, has the most championship trophies of the CFP era with three — following the 2015, 2017 and 2020 seasons.

As for which team is the greatest of all-time in the history of the playoff era (2014-present)? That honor belongs to Alabama’s loaded 2020 team, according to USA TODAY Sports.

Earlier this week, veteran college football scribe Paul Myerberg reranked every national champion of the playoff era. The 2020 Crimson Tide edged 2019 LSU as the greatest team in the history of the CFP.

Myerberg explained Alabama’s No. 1 ranking this way:

“Led by an unstoppable offense starring Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, the 2020 Crimson Tide have an argument for being counted among the top teams in modern FBS history. Against the backdrop of the COVID pandemic, Alabama went unbeaten in games against 11 SEC teams, Notre Dame and Ohio State, scoring at least 31 points in every game, at least 41 points in every game but two, and winning every game by at least 15 points. This was a dominant group and the most impressive team of the Nick Saban era.”

Indeed, Alabama boasted three of the top five finalists in the Heisman Trophy voting with quarterback Mac Jones and running back Najee Harris joining Smith. The closest contest the Crimson Tide played in all season was the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta against Dan Mullen’s Florida Gators team. Alabama won, 52-46.

The Tide then beat Notre Dame in the CFP semifinals before topping Ohio State 52-24 in the national championship game in Miami.

USA TODAY is the most recent national outlet to rank the 2020 Crimson Tide as the greatest of the playoff era, joining ESPN.

Nick Saban reveals favorite players to coach while at Alabama

Saban recently named some of his favorite players to coach while at Alabama.

As part of his appearance on “The Pivot Podcast” earlier this week, former Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban was asked to name some of his favorite players to coach during his time in Tuscaloosa.

The head coach at Alabama for 17 seasons from 2007-23, Saban obviously had a lengthy list of potential names to choose from, but instead of listing one in particular, named a few in his response to the question, saying:

“I don’t know, Julio was great,” Saban said. “Derrick Henry. Tua, I always liked Tua. Rolando McClain, and the other one I always liked was Reuben Foster.”

“But I liked the guys that were always in my office because they were screwing up, so I got closer to them,” Saban added. “We had more conversations.”

The full episode of Saban on “The Pivot Podcast” in which the former Alabama head coach talked about multiple different topics, such as the current state of collegiate athletics, can be found below.

‘I’d choose the NFL,’ Nick Saban says of changing landscape in college athletics

Saban recently commented on the state of college athletics.

Earlier this week, former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban was a guest on “The Pivot Podcast.”

Hosted by a trio of former NFL players, Channing Crowder, Ryan Clark, and Fred Taylor, Saban joined the trio to speak on a variety of different topics, which included the current state of college athletics, former players with the Crimson Tide, and more.

Taking a look at the former of those however, Saban commented on the state of college football today, as well as compared it to the NFL. Two different versions of the sport in which Saban is familiar with, the former Alabama head coach also made a statement that caught the attention of some across the sport, saying that if he were coaching today, he would probably choose the professional route over college.

“I loved coaching pro ball, and if I was going to coach today, based on the circumstances in college and in the NFL, I would coach in the NFL, because all those things in college have changed,” Saban said. “The whole idea of what college used to be is not there anymore. I mean, it used to be you went to college to develop value for your future, and now people are going to college to see how much money they can make. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, but you change the whole dynamic of the importance of getting an education, making good decisions and choices about what you do and what you don’t do to create value for your future. You change that whole dynamic, and the idea that these guys are free agents twice a year and can just go wherever they want.”

“That’s what I always enjoyed about college, developing those things that help guys be successful, and now the system has changed where that’s not even possible anymore,” Saban added. “I think the players should get paid in college, I really do. I just think the system that we’re doing it in is not really beneficial to them and their development in the future.”

The full episode of “The Pivot Podcast” featuring Saban, along with his additional comments, can be found below.

Nick Saban shares his side of fateful 2006 Drew Brees phone call

Nick Saban recently discussed his side of a 2006 phone call, which led to Drew Brees signing with the Saints. Sean Payton believes he left information out.

When many NFL fans around the world think of the New Orleans Saints, one of if not the first player they think of is Drew Brees. A franchise icon, one of the best quarterbacks to ever step on a football field, the man who brought a Super Bowl to New Orleans, and a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. However, there was the potential for Brees to have never signed with the Saints, and instead gone to the Miami Dolphins where longtime Alabama head coach Nick Saban was running the show.

Nick Saban recently went on ‘The Pivot’ podcast featuring Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder to discuss a wide array of topics. One of the topics that came up was Drew Brees, his failed physical with the Dolphins, as well as the phone call Saban had with Brees’ agent regarding how long he needed the physical to not be made public, allowing the deal to go through for the Saints. He made it clear that the physical was the reason he turned away, and also that he did end up regretting it no doubt.

“Now the other part about that is, I actually had to call his agent and say we had a deal, but he didn’t pass the physical,” Saban recalled. “And he said ‘oh man Nick, you can’t tell people he didn’t pass the physical, I’ll never get him signed anyplace.’ And I said nobody will know, how much time do you need, he said like 72 hours, so I never told anybody. Nobody knew for 72 hours, until he signed in New Orleans.”

The intriguing part about this is the response to this post, in which former Saints head coach Sean Payton responded with an ominous post saying, “A little bit missing in this piece…” As of the writing of this article there has been no further context added, however, some have speculated it could be in regards to the phone call Saban had with Brees after the fact regarding the physical.

In Brees’ book titled “Coming Back Stronger” there is an excerpt on pages 106 to 108 (found thanks to a response post) which talks about the phone call he had with Saban after the failed physical. This phone call essentially boiled down to Brees calling in, and trying to get closure on whether or not Saban truly wanted him, physical or not. Saban would make it clear that the physical was the physical, and that is what he had to believe, while Brees thought his response sounded “scripted” to an extent. Brees had already received positive affirmations from the Saints in their beliefs about his abilities and his recovery, which ultimately led to him signing there rather than the Dolphins.

The whole situation is obviously somewhat of a touchy one even nearly 20 years later, as Saban would end up going back to Alabama in 2007 and Sean Payton remains in the NFL to date (though obviously both have had enormously successful careers in their own right). Brees ultimately became a franchise defining player who the Saints still are having trouble living without, and the Dolphins traded a second round pick for Dante Culpepper who was cut the next offseason.

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Former Alabama HC Nick Saban endorses Deion Sanders for Dallas Cowboys job

Nick Saban advocates for Colorado’s Deion Sanders to get first NFL HC opportunity.

Not many coaching positions in the football world are more sought after than the head coaching gig of the Dallas Cowboys. With Owner Jerry Jones letting head coach Mike McCarthy walk at the end of the season, it will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the Lone Star State.

Jones has been pretty quiet as to who the Cowboys are considering, but with the two hottest candidates, Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel, already accepting roles, the selection is getting slimmer. On Tuesday, Dallas completed an interview with their offensive coordinator of the last two seasons, Brian Schottenenheimer. However, there has been some growing buzz around former Cowboys All-Pro DB and current Colorado Buffaloes HC Deion Sanders.

Sanders inherited Colorado after an abysmal 2022 season that ended with a 1-11 record. Since taking the job, he has guided the Buffaloes to a 13-12 record over two seasons and produced the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner and likely No. 1 overall 2025 NFL draft pick QB Shedur Sanders.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban believes that Deion has earned an NFL opportunity if he so chooses. Sanders and Saban have a great relationship as seen in all of the Aflac commercials. Saban was on the Pivot Podcast with Ryan Clark discussing the Dallas job and said of Deion, “I want him to get that job.”

The transition from college to NFL has proven to be difficult for almost everyone who’s taken the leap of faith, including Saban. But given Sanders ability to turn the Colorado program around his ties to the Cowboys franchise, Coach Prime could be the right guy for the job.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Nick Saban says leaving LSU was the biggest mistake he ever made

See what Nick Saban said about his choice to leave LSU for the NFL ranks

Former LSU head coach Nick Saban made some waves after appearing on a podcast this week.

You probably know Saban’s story by now. He built LSU into a championship program before taking a job with the Miami Dolphins. When it didn’t work out in the NFL, Saban returned to college football and built a dynasty at Alabama.

Saban’s success at Alabama often had LSU fans asking, “What if?”

On former Tiger Ryan Clark’s “The Pivot” podcast, Saban said leaving LSU was “the biggest mistake I ever made,” throughout his storied career.

“I found out in that experience that I like coaching in college better because you can develop players personally, academically, athletically, and all that a little more than in pro ball,” Saban said.

His agent, Jimmy Sexton, asked him if he’d rather have a legacy like Vince Lombardi or Bear Bryant when deciding between the Tigers and Dolphins.

“Without hesitation I said Bear Bryant and he said ‘what are you doing going to Miami?'” Saban said.

After compiling a 15-17 record through two season with the Miami Dolphins, Saban returned to the college ranks as Alabama’s head coach. He won six national championships and nine SEC titles with the Crimson Tide.

Though he took a liking to “coaching in the best league against the best players” while in the NFL, Saban was drawn back to all that the college level offered.

LSU won two SEC titles and the 2003 BCS national championship under Saban. He is fifth on the program’s all-time wins list with 48, just behind Ed Orgeron’s 51.

Had Saban remained with LSU, the college football landscape would look a lot different.

Ohio State or Notre Dame? Nick Saban predicts CFP National Championship Game winner

Do you agree with Saban’s pick for tonight’s game?

Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban isn’t changing his tune on the Ohio State Buckeyes ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Atlanta.

Ryan Day’s team has drawn consistent praise from Saban all throughout the postseason, even before the Buckeyes blasted the Tennessee Volunteers 42-17 in the first round of the playoffs in Columbus.

From his spot on the set of ESPN’s “College GameDay,” which broadcast live from inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Saban picked the Buckeyes to finish off an incredible postseason run and defeat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the national championship.

When picking the Buckeyes, Saban said:

“I love Notre Dame’s team chemistry. I love their togetherness, I love the job that Marcus Freeman has done with them as a group with the way they bounced back after a tough loss. They represent everything I believe in as a coach. But I just think Ohio State has too much firepower, too many weapons on offense, too many players on defense to effect the quarterback and stop the run.

“I just think Ohio State’s got too many good players for (Notre Dame) and I’m picking Ohio State.”

Earlier in the broadcast, Saban outlined what he thought was Notre Dame’s best chance at pulling an upset:

“I think the key to this game for Notre Dame is they’ve got to be able to keep the ball away from Ohio State’s offense. They’ve got to run it, they’ve got to shrink the game, which is kind of how Michigan played them. They shrunk the game. Ohio State didn’t have the ball very much. They hit a pop-up play here or there to keep it a close game and be able to win it at the end, and I think that’s what Notre Dame needs to do.”

Ohio State is seeking its ninth national championship in school history and the Buckeyes’ first since 2014. Notre Dame is seeking its 12th, but the Irish haven’t won a title since 1988.

The Buckeyes defeated Texas, 28-14, in the Cotton Bowl to get to the championship game. Notre Dame defeated Penn State, 27-24, in the CFP semifinals at the Orange Bowl.

The College Football Playoff National Championship Game can be seen on ESPN.

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Nick Saban names his worst national championship game venues, experiences

Saban went 7-3 in his career in national championship games. Here’s the two least enjoyable cities he coached in.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban went to 10 national championship games combined in his 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa, plus the five years he spent in Baton Rouge as LSU Tigers coach.

Saban’s record in those games was 7-3. He won national championships at the Sugar Bowl site in New Orleans (twice), the Rose Bowl site in Pasadena, the Orange Bowl site in Miami (twice), the Fiesta Bowl site in Arizona, and the Peach Bowl site in Atlanta.

Which stadium or facility was Saban’s least enjoyable? It probably isn’t much of a surprise that it was one where Saban’s team lost the championship game.

While joining ESPN’s Pat McAfee on Monday’s edition of “The Pat McAfee Show” from inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta ahead of tonight’s national championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame, Saban was asked which of his three national championship game losses were most difficult for him.

Saban recalled Alabama’s 44-16 loss to Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers in January 2019 at Levi’s Stadium in California and said:

“I think only one of those (championship) games did we really get beat in: when we played out in San Jose against Clemson. We just got beat. But we had bad circumstances in the game. We had to play Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. We had an eight-day turnaround to get to California. Lot of travel, lot of disruption in practice. We got out there and it was raining. There was no place to practice indoors, and we didn’t handle those disruptions.”

Asked by McAfee how irked Saban had been by not being able to practice indoors, the coach said it was one reason he felt championship games should always be played at bowl sites. He also recalled the other city he didn’t enjoy coaching in.

“Bowl sites have the facilities because they’re used to accommodating teams. We played in San Jose, and they weren’t used to accommodating a team. No disrespect to Indianapolis, but when we played Georgia in Indianapolis they weren’t used to accommodating, either. It was cold as hell, and we had to go practice in the Indianapolis Colts’ facility, which maybe — I don’t know what it’s like now, but it wasn’t really very nice.”

Saban went on to say there were always areas where his Alabama teams didn’t succeed in those losses and added:

“And in some of the games — like, we lost to Clemson on the last play of the game — it was two great teams. We covered them and they caught it anyway and they scored. It was just a great game and we played a really good game. We just lost.”

Nick Saban weighs in on Ohio State-Notre Dame national championship game

When asked by McAfee for his thoughts on the national championship game between Notre Dame and Ohio State, Saban said.

“Who can play their game? Which team allows the other team to play their game? If Notre Dame’s gonna win the game, they’re going to have to play ugly. They can’t get in a three-point shootout if it’s a basketball game (analogy) with Ohio State to make explosive plays to win the game because Ohio State has too many weapons.

“But if they can make the game ugly, kind of like Michigan did — they ran the ball, they kept it away from Ohio State, they made the plays they needed to make, they got some turnovers, played good defense, didn’t let them get explosive plays. I think anybody can win the game, but I think the team that’s going to win is going to be able to play their game — their identity, what got them here.”

Kickoff for Notre Dame vs. Ohio State is scheduled for shortly after 6:30 p.m. CT in Atlanta. The game can be seen on ESPN.

Lane Kiffin trolls Nick Saban after Sydney Thomas said an SEC coach slid into her DMs

LOL!

Lane Kiffin trolling Nick Saban? Gee, never heard of him doing that before!

Oh right. Remember this one? Or how about that time he compared Saban to his dad?

This time, it’s over Sydney Thomas — the now-famous ring card girl from the Tyson-Paul fight — claiming an SEC football coach slid into her DMs. Who could it be? It’s not Alabama’s current coach, at least we know that.

Thomas posted a photo of her playing golf with Saban — let’s note, he’s a FORMER SEC coach — so Kiffin took the opportunity to troll him and say that he was the DMing culprit. LOL!

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