- Nick Saban said everything he believed during his coaching career “no longer exists” in college football.
- If Nick Saban thinks he can no longer develop or help athletes, the golf course is the place for him.
- Nick Saban earned his entire salary at Alabama. Goat with his feet up. Won. Let's pass the baton to a new generation of hungry coaches who think they can still help players win the NIL.
After hearing Nick Saban lament the direction of college football during a Congressional hearing this week, I knew Saban had made the right decision to retire.
A hallmark of Saban's greatness was his ability to evolve with changes within the sport, sometimes reluctantly. But adapting to an environment where players enjoy more power, freedom, and rewards than ever before was the straw that broke the GOAT's back.
Saban, 72, told The Hill, “What I have believed over the last 50 years of coaching no longer exists in college athletics.” “It’s always been about developing players, it’s always been about helping people be more successful in life.”
Isn't that what we're talking about anymore? Not at all? It's unbelievable.
Should we assume that just because players can raise booster funds and transfer freely, that coaches can't develop them? Can coaches no longer help athletes succeed?
Consider me a skeptic.
What Terry Saban told Nick Saban about NIL
If you think Saban can't help college athletes anymore, he's right where he needs to be: out to pasture.
Saban added that his wife, Terry, also felt that the coaching business had become less fulfilling after arriving at the NIL.
“She came to me right before I left and said, 'Why are we doing this?'” Saban told lawmakers. “I said, 'What do you mean?' She said, 'All they care about is how much you pay them. They don't care how much you grow them. We don't care what happens. That's what we've always done.” ”
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Where does it say that coaches can't develop the players they're paid to play? If the only way you can help people is if you are locked into a program and cannot transfer without penalty, you may need to reevaluate your leadership style.
My employer pays me a wage. If I didn't, I wouldn't be writing this, I guarantee you. You can change jobs without penalty if you wish. However, my boss still helps me grow and helps me.
Here's what's changed for Saban. The good old days that Saban and others saw ended a few years ago when transfer penalties were eliminated in the early days of the NIL, stripping coaches of their omnipotence.
Players and boosters will enjoy more power than ever before.
You don't have to like the NIL Collective, but the Supreme Court and federal antitrust laws prevent the NCAA from going back to the days when athletes couldn't make money.
NIL, transfer reduces Nick Saban's power and control.he retired
I believe Saban when he says he doesn't mind players earning coin, but he wants control how The players will be compensated and their relatives amount They are compensated. He wants to control every aspect of his business. He says he's open to splitting profits with athletes. He's not on good terms with the NIL collective. Saban isn't the only coach thinking along these lines. Collective bargaining and revenue sharing are valuable ideas.
Saban is clearly uncomfortable with boosters acting as general managers and writing checks for talent acquisition and retention.
If you ask someone Saban's age what they think about what their profession has become, they'll probably say it used to be better. I'm not just talking about coaches. Do this in any profession.
I can't tell you how many former journalists have told me that the industry used to be better. I'm sure you hear this a lot at work.
It is true that in some cases things may have been better in the past. Heck, I'd like some of that gluttonous spending report from a retired journalist.
Sometimes it's just that circumstances have changed. For the better? For the worse? It depends on who you ask. Adapt, persevere, or quit. Saban resigned. He earned that right. Without a doubt, he did.
You won't hear me complain about how much money Saban made during his coaching career. In a purely business sense, he was worth every penny and more to Alabama. It's not just the football program. To the university in general.
So Saban should reap the fruits of his hard labor. Why not enjoy life a little more in a retirement home on the beach? Let's play golf. Flip some burgers on the grill. Read Grisham's novels.
Do anything other than coaching. Saban lost that desire once college sports evolved to the point where that framework could no longer be tolerated.
Saban claims that what he believes in no longer exists in college football and it's time to go. New players who may still think Saban can sit tight and help young athletes develop and help, even if they are earning booster money and are not tied to the program by transfer restrictions. It's time to make way for a generation of coaches.
Blake Topmeyer is the SEC columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow us on Twitter @btoppmeyer. He writes twice a week for the SEC Unfiltered newsletter. Sent by email for free. Sign up here. Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered.
