Nick Saban reveals what he misses the most about coaching

Nick Saban is enjoying his retirement, even though some pundits are trying to will him back to the sidelines in college football. The legendary coach has seemingly moved on, but there’s still some aspects of the job he misses.

The Alabama legend was joined by WBRC6 News at the Nick Saban Legacy Awards, where he revealed what he misses most about coaching. The relationship and team aspect of the job is something you just can’t mimic.

“I think what I miss the most, which was my biggest fear, was being a part of a team,” Saban stated. “The relationships you have with the players and coaches and people in the organization — how you can impact them.

“I’ve been a part of a team since I was nine years old, playing Little League baseball. I just had a tremendous fear that I would really, really miss it. That part, I miss.”

Regardless, Saban has no regrets. He believes the changing landscape of the sport was simply too much for him to adjust to, even if he was able to handle everything thrown his way in prior years.

“The working 14 hours a day, the recruiting, the changes that we’re going through in college football, the challenges that that presented — it was a little much at my age,” Saban added. “The last year that I coached and the last game that I coached against Jim Harbaugh was really, really difficult.

“So, I thought it was the right time. (Saban’s wife) [Miss Terry] thought it was the right time. We don’t have any regrets.”

It’s tough to blame Saban for calling it a career. He was a living legend on the sidelines, with seven national championships to his name. He went out by making it to the College Football Playoff, playing in the Rose Bowl against the eventual champions in Michigan. Not a bad way to spend your final game.

All in all, Saban amassed a 292–71–1 record as a head coach, over his time at Alabama, LSU, Michigan State and Toledo. He also spent two seasons in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, but his time in college football is what he’ll always be remembered for.

In addition to enjoying his extra free time, Saban has been a fixture on ESPN’s College GameDay since calling it a career. He’s shown he’s not a one-trick pony, as he’s been a valuable addition to the broadcast since joining the show.

Nevertheless, if Nick Saban decided he wanted to coach again next season, every team in the sport would be lining up to speak with him. At the moment, he seems content. But never say never.