After a lot of thought, and a change of heart on this issue, I personally don't have much problem with the way Saban handled his leaving Miami... and here's why: Miami's season was still ongoing at the time, and if I recall correctly, there were questions asked in post-game interviews about talks with Bama. Why on earth would Saban entertain any questions what-so-ever about him talking with Bama? I know he outright said he would not go to Alabama, but what is he supposed to say... he MIGHT go to Bama... he's not sure? Saban did what any other American with a job would do if they were confronted with questions about talking or interviewing for other jobs... they would deny that they have had any conversation with anyone else. Why? If you say you had, you might get an earlier exit than you want. Saban was struggling in Miami and he wasn't loved there like he is at Bama Any hint that he was having conversations with Bama and there is a decent chance Miami would go ahead and show him the exit. Saban was smart... he was covering his tracks and his own ***, just like any of us would if we were faced with questions about our job and conversations with other companies (most of us don't have to deal with the media on a regular basis, which makes matters worse for him).
ETA: In a perfect world, Saban should have simply responded with "My focus is the season with Miami," but maybe there were some money issues or maybe Saban felt that could still lead to plenty of speculation. I still feel he was trying to save face at Miami in case the Bama deal fell through... which I am ok with.