This is an opinion column.

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Forget a useless Presidential commission on college football. If Nick Saban really wants to affect change for the sport he loves and have fun doing, then he should return to coaching.

But not college football.

And not even the NFL.

Saban should think about coaching the U.S. flag football team in the Olympics.

Flag football is growing here in The States and internationally. The sport will make its Olympic debut in the 2028 Los Angeles Games and there’s no doubt that it will be one of the marquee events for Americans.

Team U.S.A. needs a coach, and I know a guy.

Former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski coached the USA Basketball Men’s National Team for 10 years. Saban should take a break from the golf course and coach Team USA in flag football. Kirby Smart could even be one of his assistants again.

And Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian, too.

Talk about a Dream Team.

It’s time for The Process to be wrapped in Red, White and Blue. Saban might have the most national championships for a coach in college football history, but he doesn’t have an Olympic gold medal.

It just makes too much sense.

And, of course, it would make plenty of cents, too.

As for players, Saban would have his pick of the best in the world. The NFL is joining up for the Olympics. Earlier this week, the league voted in favor of allowing its players to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

In the Olympics, flag football will be five-on-five with 10-man rosters. No tush pushes here. Only skill players, and even the center can go out for passes. It’s going to be fast-paced and high scoring.

For the NFL, it’s a new path to marketing its product internationally. For coaches and players, it’s a chance to be national heroes (and endorse a world of products along the way). For fans of football, it’s going to be a national celebration of a new kind of Dream Team.

For Saban, it could be a reunion with former players.

Yes, I’m talking about Jalen or Tua debut all over again.

Now that I think about it, the GOAT could pick an entire team of former and current Alabama players.

Off the top of my head, I could put together an All-Alabama flag football team to take on the world: Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Mbakwe, Ryan Williams, Isaiah Bond, Caleb Downs, Brian Branch, Patrick Surtain II and Eddie Jackson.

Every team needs a veteran leader in the locker room. For me, that’s Jackson, one of my all-time favorite players.

Give us the gold right now.

Bond and Downs would be controversial picks for Alabama fans, of course. After all, Bond transferred to Texas and Downs transferred to Ohio State. But don’t forget, Hurts finished his career at Oklahoma. Saban needs the best of the best.

Send me your 10-man All-Alabama team, and I’ll highlight some of them in the weekly newsletter and here on AL.com, too. There are no wrong answers. USA Football is the governing body for the sport, but with the NFL now involved expect plenty of changes for flag football before the 2028 Summer Games.

Anyone can try out for the teams, but good luck to all the Random Joes trying to beat out NFL and college players during qualifications.

Team USA will be the heavy favorite in Los Angeles, but we learned during the Birmingham World Games that gold isn’t a guarantee for the Americans. Mexico won gold in the 2022 World Games led by quarterback Diana Flores.

NFL players with international roots can play for their national teams, and I’d expect that some countries will recruit American players with offers of dual-citizenship. Imagine Team USA losing to Italy, Mexico or Jamaica in the Olympic debut for flag football.

We can’t allow that to happen.

For the sake of the country, Saban needs to put that straw hat back on his head and get to work.

BE HEARD

Got a question for Joe? Want to get something off your chest? Send Joe an email about what’s on your mind. Let your voice be heard. Ask him anything.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the book “We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban’s Ultimate Team.”