Nick Saban shared that “the disappointment is that Florida State dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball” after the Seminoles defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide, 31-17, this past Saturday in Tallahassee.
USA Today’s Matt Hayes believes the legendary college football coaching great has an innate regret that he retired in January 2024 after seeing what his program has become.
“Watching the now listless Alabama program, this group of furloughed players from the unrelenting taskmaster of years past, is too much for one rare, megalomaniacal legend of a coach to bear,” Hayes wrote.
“And that means the lovely Ms. Terry has to bear it, too. By proxy.
“The women who willingly choose to marry into the untenable profession with their husbands, who live and breathe it on a daily basis, are the last line of sanity. When everything else is up to a million, they modulate the turmoil down to one.
“Because right now Nick is looking at Terry and asking if they did the right thing. He feels guilty, he could’ve done more. He let down the players and the university.”
Hayes repeatedly referred to Kalen DeBoer as a used car salesman and even a substitute teacher whose kids are pushing the envelope to see what they can get away with. The implication is that DeBoer gets no respect. And that the full-time teacher is just waiting to return.
Hayes wrote back in January 2025 that if you’re paying attention closely enough, Saban isn’t likely to return to the sport because of how his retirement is going.
“He may not be living his best life – because, let’s face it, he’s a ball coach at heart – but he’s having fun. Of course he misses the competition and camaraderie, the thrill of game day. Every former coach does,” Hayes wrote.
“He may not be living his best life – because, let’s face it, he’s a ball coach at heart – but he’s having fun. Of course he misses the competition and camaraderie, the thrill of game day. Every former coach does,” Hayes wrote.
That was before Saban became a member of President Donald Trump’s commission on NIL in college sports. And the program Saban built became the sport’s biggest punchline in Week 1.