Nick Saban addresses idea he's ever been tempted to leave Alabama

On3 imageby:Nikki Chavanelle08/12/22

NikkiChavanelle

Alabama head coach Nick Saban joined the Dan Patrick Show on Friday after the first week of Crimson Tide fall camp. During the interview, Patrick asked the legendary head coach about potentially leaving Alabama. The question may have been prompted by a story in “The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban,” a new book written by AL.com’s John Talty.

The story details how Saban considered leaving Alabama after the 2013 season. He reportedly sat down with a senior executive for ESPN and discussed joining College GameDay.

Saban: ‘I’ve never been tempted to leave’

“I’ve never been tempted to leave Alabama,” Saban responded to Patrick’s probing question. “We all have journies in life. You find out about yourself a little bit more in every choice and decision you make a long the way. I found out when I went to pro football the last time 15-16 years ago that that was my ultimate goal to be a head coach in the national football league.

“Once I got there, I said, ‘I enjoyed the college game a lot because I love the development of players… a lot of positive self-gratification in that.’ So when I got the opportunity to go to Alabama, I was like, ‘This is it for it for me.’ So, really, not had a lot of temptation to go any place else.”

Saban didn’t mention the sports broadcasting giant in his response. Instead, he said he wouldn’t want to go anywhere else to build something when every year at Alabama is a “rebuilding year.”

John Talty details head coach’s talks with ESPN

Prior to the 2013 season, Talty writes that Nick Saban met with Nick Khan, a sports media talent agent. Khan represented the likes of Kirk Herbstreit at the time. Alabama’s national championship aspirations ended that season with a devastating loss to in-state rival Auburn.

Talty wrote that when 2013 ended, Saban “empowered Khan to reach out to ESPN with the message Saban was thinking about the next chapter in his career and considering whether media should be a part of that.”

Khan then set up a meeting with Saban and Syracuse’s Athletics Director John Wildhack, then a senior executive at ESPN. Nick Saban allegedly “zeroed in” on the possibility of joining ESPN’s College GameDay. He also “quizzed” Wildhack about life at ESPN, organizational structure, and if it was like “working on a team.”

Ultimately the coach decided to stay at Alabama. He’s won three more national championships over the last eight seasons.

On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this report.