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Could Nick Saban return buzz threaten John Calipari's 'most shocking Hog hire' label?

ByAustin Farmer|
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban walks onto the field before a game between the Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban walks onto the field before a game between the Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images | William McLelland-Imagn Images

When the University of Arkansas announced John Calipari as the newest head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks' basketball team, it sent shockwaves across the country. Every media outlet, big and small, had something to say about the move. To this day, local Kentucky media still can't stop talking about him.

What a time to be alive as an Arkansas Razorback fan. While it's unlikely that Calipari's hiring will ever be topped, reports have surfaced about a legendary coach looking for a new job that if hired at Arkansas would give Calipari serious competition for the most shocking hire in Arkansas history.

Nick Saban's return to coaching?

Retired Alabama coach and current ESPN College GameDay personality Nick Saban is looking to jump back into the coaching game, according to former Alabama quarterback and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy.

'A very much in-the-know person that I have a lot of respect for and have spent a lot of time around and just really, really admire,” McElroy said on "McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning." “They seem to think Nick Saban’s not done coaching. I had a similar reaction. He’s pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again. ... Look, if it wasn't someone notable, I'd never say a word."

Imagine for a moment a world where Nick Saban and John Calipari coach at the same school. Now, imagine that school is the University of Arkansas. It's a crazy thought, one enough to drive the most rational Hogs fans into a frenzy. However, host of the SEC Network's "The Paul Finebaum Show" put down almost immediately.

Finebaum pointed out that he's much closer to Saban's age than McElroy, and that once a person reaches a certain point in their life, the day-to-day grind is not worth it, especially when you've got golf connections like Saban.

“He had a better situation at Alabama the day he left than anywhere he goes, let’s say it’s next year. Now, I don’t know whether it’s college or pros – could he be talked into something in the NFL?" continued Finebaum. "I don’t know how, because I don’t know that itch burns anymore, either. But my opinion is Nick Saban is done in coaching.”

Saban left Alabama after 17 seasons with the Tide, winning seven national championships along the way. He retired after spending an outstanding 50 years as a coach, and 28 years as a head coach.

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