Nick Saban Sneaking Off To Play Golf Wasn't As Stealth As The Alabama Coach Actually Thought According To Kirby Smart

Nick Saban had a few tricks up his sleeve while Kirby Smart was on his staff at Alabama, but they weren't stealthy enough to out-smart his former assistant.

Before Alabama and Georgia face-off today in Atlanta for an SEC Championship, both coaches sat down to discuss their respective seasons, and their golf games.

The relationship between Kirby Smart and Nick Saban has been well-documented over the years, with the Alabama coach constantly singing the praises of his former assistant. But what some folks outside the football building might not know is Saban used to sneak-off for a quick 18 holes during the Spring.

Unfortunately for the Alabama head coach, Kirby Smart had figured out what his boss was up to, so he pounced on the opportunity.

"I used to sneak out at three in the afternoon in the Spring and go play golf," Nick Saban noted. "Well, there's two golf courses. So he knew who I played golf with, I had a group of four or five guys, so as soon as I left he would call them and ask where they were playing that day. Then he'd take four coaches and go play at the other course."

Kirby Smart was quick to respond with some solid advice on how he would find out where his boss was during these times he would sneak off.

"I learned early on in my career you gotta figure out who's best friends with the coach, so you know where he's headed, so you can head the opposite." Kirby Smart jokingly noted. "Sometimes we had mistakes where he'd show up where we were and we'd all disperse and go hide."

Nick Saban Finally Decides To Text Kirby Smart Back

Obviously an old-school type of guy, Nick Saban has discussed his texting habits in the past, but it seems like he was ghosting Kirby Smart for a period of time. The Georgia head coach even weren't as far as to say Saban has shown a more friendly side lately.

"He actually texted me back for the first time ever this year. It was just talking about how hard it is to be successful and be consistent. He knows about expectations more than anybody. It's very hard to find people to relate to regarding that."

If you think Nick Saban is putting together a novel in his replies, you'd be sorely mistaken. It's hard to imagine the Alabama head coach finding the time to type out a lengthy response, but he called it 'simple' texting.

"I learned how to text simple. Like two or three words, no punctuations or anything like that," Saban responded. "That's way beyond my level of expertise."

No matter who wins on Saturday afternoon, I'm sure these two will share a moment that doesn't involve a cell phone.