Steve Sarkisian reveals whether Nick Saban would return to coaching

The college football world has been abuzz for the past two weeks over the possibility of Nick Saban potentially returning to coaching. That possibility was first raised by Greg McElroy on ESPN.

It has since taken on a life of its own. FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd dumped more fuel on the fire recently when he suggested that a pairing with Arch Manning at the professional level might be enough to lure Saban out of retirement.

Cowherd had Texas coach Steve Sarkisian on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Thursday and broached the topic. He put Sarkisian on the spot, asking if he could see Nick Saban taking the jump back to the NFL.

“You already have him in Cleveland!” Sarkisian said with a laugh. “I heard you yesterday, you already have him in Cleveland, he’s coaching Arch. I only have Arch for one year? Shoot, I thought I was going to have him for two.”

After the two had a good laugh over that, Sarkisian attempted to tackle the question of Saban getting back into coaching a little more seriously. He has worked with Saban in the past, so he presumably has a better pulse on the head man than most.

“I don’t know. Hey, he is a great coach and I loved my time working for Nick,” Sarkisian said. “I mean he really is a fantastic coach. I think he feels really comfortable to me. He’s really good on TV, I think he enjoys what he gets to do. He’s playing a ton of golf, which he loves doing. I’m sure Miss Terry loves having him at home. So I don’t know. That’s obviously a personal thing as he grows.”

Saban has indeed quickly become a staple of ESPN’s College GameDay since retiring from his post at Alabama. He’s got some natural ability and his knowledge of the game is unparalleled.

As ESPN officially retires Lee Corso from the show this fall, it stands to reason that developing an heir of sorts is a priority. Could Nick Saban be that guy?

Well, the NFL calling would certainly throw a wrench into that. And Sarkisian didn’t completely rule that possibility out.

“I know he’s one of, if not the most competitive person I’ve ever been around, so I’m sure those competitive juices get flowing pretty good,” Sarkisian said. “But, man, he looks like he’s having a lot of fun doing television. He looks relaxed. He’s great for our sport. I know people are tuning in to hear his insight on all this stuff.”