So You're Saying There's A Chance: Potential Nick Saban Landing Spots In College Football

In case you might have missed it, Nick Saban may be sort of, kind of coming out of retirement (not really).

Regardless of the validity of Greg McElroy's reporting, just the thought of the GOAT making his way back into the world of coaching has piqued the interest of every college football fan in America today.

While there haven't been any indicators as to where Saban would land if he decided to coach again, I doubt many schools in the country would turn down the seven-time national championship winner.

With all that being said, I decided to compile a (mostly tongue-in-cheek) list of all the best destinations for the former Alabama head coach.

These are ranked in order of where I would like to see him the most, based on fit.

5. Alabama

Okay, this one makes too much sense.

Despite his generational recruiting run these past six weeks, the 'Bama faithful won't have the patience for another 9-3 season from coach Kalen DeBoer.

Should the tide stumble at all against a fairly healthy SEC schedule, the calls for Saban to come home might be too loud to ignore.

Would Saban be willing to take over for the Crimson Tide again? We may find out with another lackluster season from DeBoer

4. West Virginia

Saban is famously from West Virginia, so this could be seen as a homecoming of sorts.

A stint as the Mountaineers head coach could be a sort of "reverse sliding doors" moment, especially considering who the current coach in Morgantown is.

We were almost a Drew Brees passed physical in Miami away from Rich Rodriguez being the Alabama football coach, so seeing Nick Saban swoop in and steal the position away from RichRod after less than a year back in the Mountain State would be some kind of weird cosmic irony.

Just for the laughs, I'd love to see this happen.

3. Florida State

Similarly to the West Virginia situation in the late 2000s, Florida State's current head coach, Mike Norvell, was linked to the Alabama head-coaching position when Saban stepped down in January 2024.

Norvell was coming off a 13-1 season and an ACC Championship, so he was able to parlay that and the 'Bama rumors into a huge extension.

Since the big contract, however, the Seminoles have fallen on some hard times, so if Saban were to become available, the FSU boosters might have no choice other than to go digging through couch cushions for Norvell's buyout – estimated at $63 million. 

Saban also has ties to Florida State legend Bobby Bowden as well as former Seminole national championship coach Jimbo Fisher, so the narrative pretty much writes itself for Saban to be the next savior in Tallahassee.

2. Colorado

Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter have made their way to the NFL, so something tells me Deion Sanders' days in Boulder could be numbered.

What better way to follow the splash hire of Sanders than with the biggest splash of them all.

It's a reach, sure, but I think Colorado's brass and boosters are committed to winning and would give Saban the resources he would need to win now.

They've famously landed some pretty big-time recruits in the NIL era, like five-stars Jordan Seaton (OT) and Julian Lewis (QB).

I would love to see what a killer on the recruiting trail like Saban could do in a similar situation.

1. LSU

This one would rock for a number of reasons, so let's unpack them.

For starters, Saban coached and won a national championship at LSU, so seeing him make his way back to Baton Rouge would be fun from a narrative perspective.

There's also the fact that he once beat current Tigers head coach, Brian Kelly, like a drum in the 2012 National Championship game when Kelly was the coach at Notre Dame, so stealing the LSU job from him would add a little salt in that wound.

Kelly has also underperformed since arriving on the Bayou in 2022, and another season without a playoff berth, especially with the Tigers' very loaded roster this season, might be grounds for expulsion from Death Valley.

And guess who would be waiting in the wings to take over?

I'm just saying it's an idea.

Where do you think Nick Saban ends up? Let me know by emailing me at austin.perry@outkick.com.