Nick Saban joining ESPN as College GameDay analyst
Nick Saban no longer coaches at Alabama, but college football fans can still plan on seeing plenty of him this fall.
ESPN announced Wednesday that Saban, 72, is joining the network as an analyst. The seven-time national champion is set to work primarily on ESPN’s “College GameDay” program, the network said, but before that he will contribute to coverage of April’s NFL draft and SEC Media Days in July.
“ESPN and ‘College GameDay’ have played such an important role in the growth of college football, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to join their team,” Saban said in a statement. “I’ll do my best to offer additional insights and perspectives to contribute to ‘College GameDay,’ the ultimate Saturday tradition for college football fans.”
Saban had spent more than 50 years as an assistant or head coach, including the past 17 leading the Crimson Tide to enormous success, before announcing his retirement last month. His final game was a close loss to Michigan in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff on New Year’s Day. Michigan went on to win the national championship with a victory over Washington, whose coach, Kalen DeBoer, then replaced Saban at Alabama.
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The argument for Saban being the greatest college football coach ever starts with his unprecedented haul of national titles, including six at Alabama after one at LSU. When he earned his most recent national title, in a Crimson Tide win over Ohio State in January 2021, Saban topped a record he had shared with legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.
Over 28 years as a college head coach, including stints at Toledo and Michigan State, Saban accumulated a 297-71-1 record with 11 SEC titles. Along the way, his Alabama teams’ 15 straight seasons with at least one week spent ranked atop the Associated Press poll smashed a record that had been held by Miami at seven (per rolltide.com).
Saban was less successful in the NFL, compiling a 15-17 record over two seasons coaching the Miami Dolphins, but his winning ways once he departed for the Alabama job led to numerous appearances on “College GameDay.” Now, he will be added to its regular panel.
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Describing Saban as “a singular, iconic presence in college football,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement: “He is also an extremely gifted communicator, who will immediately add even more credibility, authority and entertainment value to ESPN, including our esteemed ‘College GameDay’ show.”
Saban arrives just as ESPN and sister broadcast network ABC are set to take over as the new home of SEC sports. Four years ago, the Disney-owned networks reached an agreement with the powerhouse conference, long televised nationally on CBS, on a 10-year deal that begins later this year.
ESPN indicated Wednesday that the familiar faces of “College GameDay,” including host Rece Davis and analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee, are all set to return. Corso, the 88-year-old former coach who has been associated with “GameDay” since it began airing in 1987, said in December that he plans to stay on the program for as long as ESPN will allow.
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