Nick Saban describes challenge of coaching at Neyland Stadium, recalls 'all-time record for boos'

Nick Saban returns to Knoxville this weekend for the first time since he retired after 17 seasons as Alabama’s head coach as part of the ESPN College GameDay crew ahead of Saturday’s Top 15 showdown between No. 6 Georgia and No. 15 Tennessee. Suffice it to say, Saban much prefers this trip than the other eight times with the rival Crimson Tide.

Especially the 2014 edition of the Third Thursday in October rivalry series, also known as “The Return of Lane Kiffin,” which was Kiffin’s first season as Alabama’s offensive coordinator. Five years earlier, Kiffin infamously left Knoxville high and dry after just one season as Tennessee’s head coach to take over the USC program. Of course, Kiffin would eventually be fired at USC midway through the 2013 season before joining Saban’s staff before the 2014 season.

“I tell you what, it’s a little better coming here to do this than it was on my previous trips to Knoxville,” Saban said Friday from outside Neyland Stadium on the set of The Pat McAfee Show. “Because it’s a big rivalry game for us. I mean, we got the all-time record for boos when Lane (Kiffin) came out of the tunnel, when came back with us after he left after one year to go to USC. I’ve never heard boos like in my life.”

Not that it impacted either Kiffin or Saban as Alabama went on to secure a 34-20 win in Knoxville as part of a 15-year Crimson Tide win streak that stretched much of Saban’s tenure. In fact, Saban’s only loss against Tennessee came in a 52-49 shootout in 2022, his second-to-last season in Tuscaloosa, that prompted Vols fans to swarm the field and tear down the Neyland Stadium goal posts.

“Nah, I just patted him on the back and he smiled about it and we went about our business,” Saban continued. “This is a hard place to play. Maybe because the Tennessee-Alabama rivalry goes way back, but it was a hard place to play. They had great fans, they were always enthusiastic as hell when we came in here. It was a difficult place to play, and I’m sure it’s going to be difficult for Georgia. But they’ve had success here in the past.”

The sixth-ranked Bulldogs (2-0) come into Knoxville on Saturday riding an eight-year win streak in the series with Tennessee (2-0), including four straight lopsided wins inside Neyland Stadium. Georgia, which enters Saturday as a 4-point road favorite, holds a 29-23-2 advantage in the all-time series with the Vols.