Describing the different feeling without Nick Saban coaching at Alabama A-Day
Alabama‘s A-Day spring football game was this past Saturday, and was the first one in quite some time without Nick Saban at the helm for the Crimson Tide.
Saban was still in attendance at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, watching like many other Alabama fans and patrons as they got their first look at Kalen DeBoer‘s squad ahead of his first season as the Crimson Tide head coach. A feeling reality that still feels strange for On3’s Andy Staples and Bama Online‘s Tim Watts.
“I’m still trying to process Tim the image of Nick Saban in the press box as the spring game started not coaching the team … We know he’s not the coach anymore, but seeing that is still jarring to me,” Staples said.
“Every time you see Nick Saban he looks happy right?” Watts asked. “Which you’re not used to, you’re so used to the intensity. He looks happy, he’s having a good time, he’s enjoying it, he looks at ease.”
Saban’s fieriness as a head coach was one of his trademarks during his time as Alabama’s head coach along with winning. Delivering the Crimson Tide to six national championship wins and nine SEC titles during his 17 seasons with the program.
“But you’re wondering, him watching the Alabama team run out there just seemed kind of — not wrong, but it just seemed odd,” Watts admitted. “I mean 17 years is a long time for anybody to be anywhere, but especially in this day and age. I mean that’s like 40 years in the 70s.”
His retirement in January came as a surprise to many, stepping away from coaching during changing times in the college athletics landscape. But Saban will still be involved with the program, still having an office in Alabama’s facility and likely continuing to steal the show when he does make appearances in Tuscaloosa.
“So seeing him watching, but having a good time, I mean it was good. You had a lot of people at that A-Day game kind of famous, you have Bryce Young come in. Kadyn Proctor‘s chilling on the sideline, Nick Saban, so a lot of interest in that A-Day game and obviously Saban was the big story,” Watts concluded.
The offensive White Team defeated the Crimson defense squad 34-28 in the A-Day spring game, as one of the most highly anticipated seasons in program history continues to get closer with DeBoer filling Saban’s shoes.