For the first time since 2006, SEC Spring Meetings will not feature Alabama head coach Nick Saban following his retirement in January. But for the first time ever, Spring Meetings in Destin, Florida will also feature head coaches from Oklahoma and Texas as the two powerhouse programs join the SEC ahead of the 2024 season.
Longhorns’ head coach Steve Sarkisian represents Texas in the Sunshine State this week ahead of his highly anticipated head coaching debut in the SEC. Returning to the conference after working under Saban at Alabama as an analyst in 2006 and as his offensive coordinator for two seasons before becoming Texas’ head coach in 2021.
The college football landscape at large is still trying to adjust to life without Saban as Alabama’s head man, and at SEC Spring Meetings on Tuesday, Sarkisian was asked if it was strange not having the legend around.
“I’ve never sat in a meeting with him, so I don’t know if it’ll be so weird for me,” Sarkisian said. “I think it might be weird for y’all. I don’t know, but we’ll see.”
“I’m just curious to see if he stayed here the night or did he fly home and fly back,” Sarkisian joked getting a laugh out of the media. “I want to know if he and Miss Terry had two bunk beds in their room. I wonder if that happened.”
Saban is stepping away from coaching, but not from the game of football or the spotlight entirely. Still holding an office in Alabama’s facility in Tuscaloosa with an open-door policy for new head coach Kalen DeBoer and others to receive guidance. Also dabbling in the media space with ESPN as an analyst on several programs including the most recent NFL Draft.
“I’ve spoken to him a little bit, I think he’s doing great,” Sarkisian said. “I thought his analysis for the NFL Draft was incredible. I’ve even had a chance to visit with a couple different NFL teams and coaches, and they even commented on some of the thoughts he had on different players.”
Saban’s football intelligence has never been in question and is now on full display for viewers to watch and learn from. Which they’ll be able to continue doing this football season with it being announced in February that Saban will be a regular member of ESPN’s College GameDay.
“I think he’s gonna be great on GameDay and being an ambassador for our sport, and that’s something that he did at Alabama as the head coach and really when he was at LSU. And now he’s even got a bigger stage to I think again, being an ambassador for college football and do it the right way,” Sarkisian concluded.
From a career in media to making an appearance in Washington D.C. for a roundtable discussion regarding NIL legislation, it’s safe to say Saban has already kept himself busy and served as an exceptional ambassador for the game early in his retirement.
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