Nick Saban talks future plans following retirement in ESPN interview
While Nick Saban discussed his plans after Alabama football, Rece Davis had an idea, hinting at Saban’s burgeoning media career.
“I probably would like to do that. But someone told me once you can’t start a broadcasting career when you’re 80,” Saban joked during his first on-camera interview following his shock retirement on Wednesday.
The two shared a chuckle before continuing to recap the decision that shocked the sports world earlier this week: Saban is hanging it up after 17 years at the University of Alabama, leaving one of the game’s most famous hard-workers a lot of spare time on his hands. Speaking with ESPN in the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility on Thursday, Saban talked about what’s next.
“I’m going to keep working. I don’t want to get up and watch Netflix. I want to do something. I have some businesses, maybe there’s some other opportunities out there for me somewhere. … I’m looking for challenges. We have businesses, we have lots of things,” Saban told Davis.
Saban’s Dream Motor Group recently purchased two Mercedes-Benz dealerships in a deal valued at nearly $700 million, per AutomotiveNews.com. Saban purchased a home in Jupiter Island, Florida for $17.5 million earlier this year.
Saban taking a role in front of the camera isn’t new. He’s made appearances on ESPN’s flagship college show over the years and has worked as a pundit during national championship games when the Tide hadn’t made it. This fall, Saban started making paid, weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show, which had moved to ESPN and is simulcast on YouTube.
Lee Corso, the face of GameDay, joined the show in 1987, two years after his coaching career ended. Corso, now 88, has no plans to retire. Yet, a report from Front Office Sports stated that ESPN views Saban as the “perfect” addition and eventual successor to Corso.
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Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].