Nick Saban comments on viral postgame interaction with LSU WR Aaron Anderson

During his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Alabama head coach Nick Saban addressed his postgame comment to LSU receiver and Alabama transfer Aaron Anderson after the Crimson Tide beat the Tigers.

Following Alabama’s 42-28 victory, Saban found one of his former players, Aaron Anderson, to share a few words. Anderson originally committed to play for the Tide out of high school but ultimately decided to transfer to his home-state school after one injury-riddled rookie year where he only saw action in one game and caught zero passes.

So, after the game, Saban and Anderson embraced, and Saban stepped back and said to him: “You know, you’d be playing more here than you are there.”

That’s a pretty strong comment from the Crimson Tide head coach that was caught on camera. However, when on with McAfee on Thursday, Coach Saban denied any personal beef between he and Anderson, saying that he never holds any ill will towards transfers and that Anderson is simply a heck of a player that he wishes had stayed.

“I think Aaron, you know, would have been playing a lot of football for us this year. He’s an outstanding player, he’s a fine young man, we were happy to get him in recruiting. We hated to see him go, but you know, these things aren’t personal to me, and I will support the player, I want to see him do well.

“I want to see all players be more successful in life because of the experience they had in college football. So, having resentment toward guys that (leave), I just don’t do that. And, you know, guy’s from Louisiana, so I get it. But it’s just not personal to me.”

Nick Saban also explained how, in today’s age, many coaches are having to deal with outside parties when it comes to each individual kid — and that’s just a reality he has to get used to.

“I think it’s a way of life now that almost all the players now have somebody externally sort of affecting how they think. And I think you sort of have to accept that as a coach and you try to do the best that you can to tell guys how they can create value for their future.”

Saban understands that he’s not the only person with a vested interest in each of these players, and if the player and their circle of people decide to move on, he’s not going to take that as a personal slight, because these decisions often come down to a number of factors.