After 28 seasons at the college level, legendary coach Nick Saban hung up his coaching hat earlier this year. His tenure was illustrious and storied, marked by 7 National Championships and six SEC titles. However, not everyone, including Deion Sanders, is pleased with how the former Alabama head coach concluded his career.
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During his recent appearance on ‘The Joel Klatt Show,’ Sanders expressed his sadness at seeing Saban bid farewell to the college scene. Moreover, he spoke about the coach’s impact on him personally and what he has learned from the legendary figure.
While Saban cited the reason that he had nothing in his tank and nothing left to give to the sport, Sanders disagreed. He truly feels that there was so much more the college coaching culture could learn from him. He even likened the coach to the Magna Cum Laude of the coaching game.
“Shoot it was like darn it’s like man we lost the OG. He means so much to me personally as a man and just watching him from near and far and being able to have access to pick up a phone and call him whenever I would need him… I hate that we lost him for college football’s sake,” Sanders said.
Additionally, the Buffaloes head coach didn’t mince his words as he expressed his feelings about Saban’s retirement.“I just hate it for him because I felt as though he had so much more left. But I understand when it’s not in you to do it that way and you want to do it this way,” Sanders said.
Sanders claimed that he knew why Saban made the decision to call it a career, although he wished it could have been different. While the Buffaloes head coach didn’t explicitly state the reason, which could potentially be related to the NIL situation, for now, everyone is left guessing. But one thing is for sure: with Saban leaving, there truly is a huge hole in the college coaching game.
While Saban did coach the Miami Dolphins for two years, he had better success at the college level while coaching LSU, MSU, and the University of Alabama. He cemented his reputation as one of the best college coaches with a record of 292 wins, 71 losses, and just 1 tie.
Moreover, Saban’s presence was so significant that even someone like Coach Prime was starstruck every time he had the opportunity to work with him. During the interview, Sanders recounted an experience he had with the former Alabama coach while they were shooting ads for Aflac
Deion Sanders’ Fanboy Moment With Nick Saban
Coach Prime might be an icon himself, famously applauded for his on-field and off-field swagger. However, Sanders occasionally finds himself on the other side of the spectrum, as evident from the fanboy moment he recalled during the sit-down interview.
The two once shot an ad for Aflac. Throughout the process of shooting, Sanders was absolutely enamored by the Alabama head coach. In fact, he described it as being a kid in a candy shop. The entire experience for Sanders was just filled with excitement and wonder.
“Oh my god, I’m like a kid in a dairy candy shop. I’m sitting up there; I’m sitting Indian style, asking him, ‘Coach, can you tell me about this? Can you tell me about that?’ I’m serious,” Sanders recalled.
With the curtains closing on Saban’s career, there will definitely be a huge hole in the college football circuit. Moreover, the college football fraternity will be looking for a new icon that matches his stature. Will that eventually be Coach Prime? It will be a long journey, but he sure has the charisma.
