Terry Saban hilariously trolls Lane Kiffin & Kirby Smart with "baby coaches" reference while issuing clear verdict on Nick Saban - Penn State rumors

The College GameDay cast at Athens for the Ole Miss vs. Georgia Week 8 game had some fun moments on Saturday. It was quite special for legendary coach Nick Saban to see two of his mentees Kirby Smart and Lane Kiffin, play each other for an SEC blockbuster. Two of the successful programs are locking horns with equal odds and competitiveness.

To witness the grand game, Nick Saban’s wife Terry and daughter, Kristen, were in the building. During the broadcast on Saturday, Pat McAfee asked Terry about the infamous Penn State question that has been lingering ever since James Franklin got fired.

Nick Saban was constantly linked to the top job and experts predicted that he could come out of retirement. However, Terry Saban issued a hilarious response calling Kiffin and Smart “baby coaches” and saying that she would not mind Nick coming back but doesn't want to take the opportunity from young coaches' hands.

“I have no doubt that if Nick wanted to go back to coaching, he could win his eighth national championship. But we’re having too much fun, and we wouldn’t want to take that opportunity away from all of our baby coaches. Like Kirby and Lane,” Terry Saban chuckled and officially shut down the rumors.

She also mentioned having no idea about any contract after Pat McAfee slyly referred to the value as being around $50 million.

Nick Saban reveals what's next for Penn State after James Franklin's exit

It has been a bumpy ride for Coach Franklin ever since he joined the program in 2014. In his 12 years at Penn State, he racked up a 104-45 record, something that is pretty commendable, as the school was under major restrictions when he joined.

According to Saban, what Franklin has achieved is massive. While fans claim that he couldn't win big games, Saban questioned the authority of other teams, asking if they were able to win such big matchups being in a highly competitive league.

“So the next person is going to have to do the same thing, but then learn how to deal with success and get the program over the hump. "So it’s going to have to be somebody who can win over the people who support the program, as well as win over the people that you need to get in the program, whether that’s coaches or players, to be able to get you to that level,” Saban said Friday to Pat McAfee on his show.

Marcus Freeman, Matt Rhule and Curt Cignetti were some of the prominent names that came up for the Penn State job. However, all three of them have refused to be involved in any kind of negotiations.

Penn State still has six games to wrap up the 2025 season and they are without a permanent head coach.

Edited by Deepesh Nair