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"This is a Coke bottle, it's not a crystal ball."
That legendary Nick Saban soundbite cut into one of the coach's most consistent beliefs. Saban never gave hypothetical answers to hypothetical questions about the future, let alone his future.
Would Saban — a seven-time national championship coach who turned 74 years old on Friday — consider one more coaching job? Would his wife Terry Saban (aka Miss Terry) support that decision? Saban retired before the 2024 season and has found a niche as an analyst on ESPN's "College GameDay."
Don't expect an answer from Saban on any of those hypothetical questions either.
We're allowed to have fun with hypotheticals, however. If Saban were to return for one more coaching stint, here are a few possible options. Keep in mind, these are all hypothetically speaking at best for Saban if he considered coming out of retirement. But let's have some fun anyway.
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1. Nick Saban to LSU
LSU fired Brian Kelly after a 49-25 loss to No. 3 Texas A&M on Saturday. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry threw himself into the chat. The Tigers parted ways with athletic director Scott Woodward on Thursday, and political pundit James Carville said, "The reputation of our school has been damaged."
In this case, you want to keep politics out of sports. You know what fixes all that at LSU? Hiring Saban – who was 48-16 in five seasons at LSU and won a national championship in 2003. The Tigers are 45-26 since 2020.
LSU is the best opening now among Power 4 schools, even if the school does not have a president or an athletic director at the moment. That instability and political posturing does not matter. Saban would supersede all that in Baton Rouge. Among all the hypotheticals, this one makes the most sense.
2. Nick Saban to Texas
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was "really pissed off" at the report that he communicated in NFL openings — and his agency refuted that report in a strongly-worded statement on Oct. 25.
That's our way of saying Sarkisian isn't going anywhere. But what happens in the event he would leave for the NFL? Sarkisian has built a Saban-like car model in Austin with top-10 recruiting classes. The Longhorns have sent 23 players to the NFL Draft the last two seasons.
If that happens, would Texas — who reportedly offered Saban $100 million in 2014 before hiring Charlie Strong — go back to Saban for a short-term hire?
Imagine one year of Saban with Arch Manning at quarterback.
Florida and Arkansas have openings in the SEC too, and rival Auburn might be next with Hugh Freeze on the hot seat. At Alabama, Saban was 17-0 against Arkansas, 8-1 against Florida and 12-5 against Auburn in the Iron Bowl. If it's an SEC job, then it's either LSU or Texas.
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3. Nick Saban to the Miami Dolphins
The blip on Saban's resume — if you want to call it that — is a 15-17 record with the Miami Dolphins from 2005-06. Dolphins general manager Chris Grier was fired on Friday, and Mike McDaniel is on the hottest of seats among NFL coaches.
Would Dolphins owner Stephen Ross consider Saban for a few seasons with the Dolphins? Tua Tagovailoa, a former Alabama quarterback , is on a four-year, $220 million contract that runs through 2028. Tagovaiola was 22-2 as a starter with Saban at Alabama. If anybody could gear a quick-change culture shift and get the most out of a franchise quarterback in a short time, then it's Saban.
NFL fans have long memories, and some Miami fans still remember Saban saying "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach" on Dec. 21, 2006, then taking the job two weeks later. It's been 20 years, and Miami is on track for its worst season since 2004 – the year before Saban took the job.
4. Nick Saban to the Cleveland Browns
This has been a Cleveland Browns fever dream for a while now — another layer to the Nick Saban-Arch Manning conspiracy theory. Would Browns owner Jimmy Haslam make this move in order to bridge a turnaround ahead of the opening of a new stadium in 2029?
Saban was the defensive coordinator in Cleveland from 1991-94, and the Browns do have two first-round picks in 2026. If you thought the Saban-Manning content machine would be turning, imagine Saban is in Cleveland with Shedeur Sanders.
Saban doesn't even have to win big in Cleveland. He would just have to set the franchise up for success when the new stadium arrives.
Still, there is a huge downside here. Since Saban took the Alabama job in 2007, the Browns have the worst record in the NFL at 104-198-1. Jacksonville is next 108-198. Urban Meyer tried that job. How did it work out?
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5. Nick Saban to Penn State
Indiana's Curt Cignetti and Matt Rhule are off the board, so Penn State is in a tough spot now. James Franklin had a 104-45 record with the program. The opportunity for a splash hire is gone, and now the top candidates are Louisville's Jeff Brohm and Texas A&M's Mike Elko.
Would Saban consider returning to the Big Ten? He was 34-24-1 at Michigan State from 1995-99 – another Big Ten job that could pop open this carousel. Here is a wild stat. Saban was 5-6 against top-10 teams at Michigan State, and that included a 3-0 record in his final two seasons. Granted, that was before the College Football Playoff era, but he could work with the talent in Happy Valley.
Of the five jobs listed here, Saban to Penn State would be the biggest surprise. After all, the Nittany Lions are sponsored by Pepsi.
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