Marcus Spears on speculation of pending Nick Saban retirement: 'It would shock me'

Whispers of Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s retirement have grown in the last few weeks, but on Wednesday’s edition of Get Up, a former Saban player squashed the idea he would hang it up.

Marcus Spears has carved out a pretty big role on the ESPN talk show circuit and offered unique perspective during Wednesday morning’s discussion about whether Saban was circling retirement, as Spears actually played for him back at LSU, and even won a national championship. He just doesn’t see the retirement happening right now but does feel like the longtime head coach could call it quits in the coming years.

“I think it’s 2-3 years. I think 75 (years old) may be a line of demarcation,” explained Spears.

“The reason why I say that is because… me knowing who Saban is and me knowing him personally, this is eating at him now. Losing these games and not being the national champion is eating at him. His competitive spirit doesn’t stop. Unless he’s tired is the only reason Nick Saban is going to leave the sidelines for Alabama.”

Sure, Alabama missed the title game for two straight years for the first time under Saban and has also broken a Saban record by now going three years without a national title. But those are first-class problems, says Spears, because the overall result is still pretty great.

“Think about the success, think about this conversation that we’re having right now. The man just played in the College Football Semifinal and we are talking like it’s a funeral. Florida had the government calling the College Football Playoff to just get in, and Nick Saban was in there playing in the semifinal game and we talking about whether it’s going to end him or not.”

Spears then issued his definitive statement on the issue: “Look, if he retired, it would shock me. Let me say that.”

The former LSU star and Saban underling knows how much losing, even in the CFP, makes Saban’s skin crawl. Spears expects not only another year of Nick Saban at Alabama, but a very motivated version of the 70+ year old coach at that.

“But I’m telling you the one thing that this man has stood on, the one thing that has made him who he is, and I know he doesn’t portray it to the public, but I’ve been in a lot of team meetings with him: he hates losing more than winning. This is going to fuel something in him, the fact that they are not in that conversation that Paul just talked about with being national champions.”