Nick Saban didn’t know it was coming. The former Alabama football head coach was working Friday evening ahead of the College Football Playoff’s Cotton Bowl semifinal, in his job as an analyst for ESPN’s College Gameday.
“When did that happen?” Saban asked after Rece Davis informed him of the news, a year to the day after his retirement as coach. “I didn’t know anything about that.”
The former coach grinned and shook hands with his ESPN coworkers. Pat McAfee passed him a football recognizing the accomplishment.
Saban then made a brief speech, deflecting the accolades, as was his custom throughout his career.
“Thank you so much,” Saban said. “But anytime anything like this happens, it’s because you had a lot of great people in your organization. A lot of great players, lot of great coaches, lot of support staff, and they made a great team. And I was happy to drive the bus, but we had some great people on it, so thank you so much.”
According to the National Football Foundation, the rest of the hall of fame class will be announced Jan. 15. Saban and his fellow 2025 class members will be inducted Dec. 9 in Las Vegas.
Fast forward one year to Jan. 10, 2025, and the legendary Alabama football coach learned he will be part of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame induction class.
Saban found out while taking part in the College GameDay broadcast on ESPN before the Cotton Bowl. Saban won seven national championships in his coaching career, six with Alabama football.
“Anytime anything like this happens, it’s because you had a lot of great people in your organization,” Saban said on ESPN. “A lot of great players, a lot of great coaches. A lot of support staff. And they made a great team. I was happy to drive the bus but we had some great people on it.”
No coach has won more national championships than Saban in the history of college football. That alone made him an obvious candidate for the College Football Hall of Fame.
Then add his other accolades: Over 28 seasons, Saban finished with a 297-71-1 record as a head coach. His teams at Alabama and LSU combined for 11 SEC championships, with nine at Alabama.
Saban had four Heisman Trophy winners. He produced 52 first-round NFL Draft selections, developing 47 of them at Alabama.
Saban’s half century in coaching also included stops at Toledo and Michigan State. He spent 17 years with Alabama, five with LSU, five with Michigan State and one with Toledo.
Saban and other inductees, who will be announced at a later time, will all be honored Dec. 9, 2025 in Las Vegas. Saban is also expected to be honored on campus during the fall.
Feathers were ruffled in Alabama this week as chickens throughout much of the state were faced with a winter wonderland.
On Friday, a deluge of photos on social media showed dogs and kids joyfully romping in the white stuff, after up to 7 inches of snow and sleet fell in North Alabama, and other areas received about 1-2 inches. For folks who own chickens, however, it was an entirely different story.
Members of the Facebook group BYC (BackYard Chickens) reported clucking, fussing and outright refusal to leave the coop in Alabama, as unhappy birds showed their displeasure with Mother Nature. (See photos of the finicky chickens in the gallery at the top of this post.)
“I don’t think they like the snow,” lamented Brittany Erin Cornwell, a chicken mom in Cullman, sharing a photo of several chickens turning up their beaks at the snow and stubbornly staying under cover.
Chickens owned by Brittany Erin Cornwell were suspicious of snowfall in Cullman, Alabama, on Jan, 10, 2025.(Photo courtesy of Brittany Erin Cornwell)
Other Alabama people in the group — about 1.3 million members strong — agreed. More than 225 comments were posted in response to Cornwell’s photo Friday, and many included photos of disgruntled chickens in Jasper, Scottsboro, Arab, New Market, Cordova, Adger, Huntsville, Rogersville and more.
“Mine won’t come out of the coop and are squawking,” said Melissa Estes of Homewood.
“Mine said nope,” confirmed Amber Willenbrock of Gardendale.
“Same. Vernon Alabama here,” said Hope Franklin-Moore. “Had to rescue a rooster who flew out and just didn’t know how to walk in the snow. So he just laid there.”
“Mine are all lined up behind the coop,” said Sierra Kirkwood of New Market.
Sierra Kirkwood of New Market said her chickens lined up behind the coop and showed a united front, distrustful of the snow on Jan. 10, 2025.(Courtesy of Sierra Kirkwood)
“Mine were not a fan. They usually run me over to get out in the mornings,” said Kayla Howard of Talladega.
“I’m in Huntsville AL and my crew would not come outside,” said Brittany Hillis. “My roo did but the ladies were all just shoving their heads past one another to look outside and they quickly decided against coming out, I even raked snow away from and area for them.”
“I’m in Tuscaloosa and my chickens won’t leave the coop!” chimed in Anna Grace Nelson. “They don’t even know what this white stuff is.”
“Alabaster checking in,” said Sarah Phaedre Browning. “Mine are hiding inside or under their coop.”
“All my girls are trying to find higher ground,” said Beth Wynn of @bonnyoaksfarmstead in Adger. “They are NOT a fan.”
“All my girls are trying to find higher ground,” said Beth Wynn of @bonnyoaksfarmstead in Adger. “They are NOT a fan.” Snowfall vexed many chickens in Alabama, according to their owners, on Jan. 10, 2025.(Courtesy of Beth Winn, @bonnyoaksfarmstead))
“Remlap, AL and my chickens say it’s too cold for that stuff on my feet,” said Londa Harris.
“Mine neither! Only 1 to come outta coop this morning was my stupid young rooster, outskirts Haleyville, AL,” said Michelle Peterson.
“I’m near Sylacauga and my roosters haven’t crowed once today, guess it’s too cold for all that malarkey,” said Stacy Lynn Lasko.
“Winston county AL. They said ‘Immediately No,’” confirmed Andrea Crisp.
“My girls were pissed lol,” said Brandy White Liverett of Haleyville.
Caitlin Parsons of Scottsboro said her chickens were outliers, of sorts, venturing into the snow on Jan. 10, 2025.(Courtesy of Caitlin Parsons)
Although a few chicken owners in Alabama noted that flock members bravely ventured out to hunt and peck, none of the birds seemed ready to hop on a sled or go snowboarding. (“Mine decided to be adventurous,” said Caitlin Parsons of Scottsboro.)
But even if the birds were displeased, chicken owners in Alabama seemed ready to grin and bear it. Members of the BYC group adore their chickens, as a rule, and some regard them as family members.
Alabama chickens won’t have long to wait before the snow melts, lessens and disappears. According to the National Weather Service, rising temperatures will likely transform the snow into a wintry mix, freezing rain and/or plain old rain throughout much of the state.
Slick and hazardous road conditions are expected to continue through Saturday morning as temperatures fall below freezing on Friday night, the weather service said. That’s a problem for chicken owners, however, and shouldn’t faze the persnickety birds in their backyards.
“We’ll just stay in the coop, OK”? If chickens owned by Terry McCormick could talk, that’s probably what they’d say. The birds faced snow in Alabama on Jan. 10, 2025.(Courtesy of Terry McCormick)
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A manufacturing company plans to shut down its auto parts plant in Alabama by March, according to a notice filed with the state.
Nitto Inc. will lay off 56 employees as its manufacturing facility in Jasper closes, the company said in a WARN notice published this week by the Alabama Department of Commerce. The plant will close by March 7, the notice said.
The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Nitto Inc. is the American subsidiary of Japanese company Nitto Denko Corporation. The Jasper plant, a 53,000 square-foot manufacturing facility that’s operated since 2003, is in the city’s Bevill Industrial Park, according to its website. The Jasper Industrial Development Board lists the company as the city’s ninth largest employer.
Green Suttles, executive director for the Jasper Industrial Development Board, said that the company offered severance to employees and is working with the board to connect employees with the local career center.
“Nitto Denko has treated their people spectacularly in my opinion,” he said in an interview with AL.com. “I was very pleased with the company working hard to communicate with their people.”
Suttles said the company informed the city that the shutdown was happening because the company is consolidating its southern auto plants into one location in Kentucky. Nitto is also closing its Ohio plant and laying off most of its employees there.
“That’s their business,” Suttles said. “That’s what they’re doing, but everybody but Kentucky lost.”
Suttles said that Bevill State Community College is already in talks to buy the site from Nitto, and plans to turn it into a training center as part of a plan with Alabama Power to create the Alabama Energy Infrastructure Training Center and Network in the industrial park, expanding on its HVAC workforce development program.
AL.com has reached out to Bevill State for comment.
“It’s my understanding that that’s going forward,” he said. “I hate losing the 50 jobs, and I hate losing the industrial building, as Alabama needs more industrial space. But I’m getting a whole lot more out of the deal.”
Suttles added that many of Jasper’s Nitto employees already have new jobs lined up.
“Jasper is going to absorb virtually all the people that are being displaced,” Suttles said. “I’m extremely optimistic. It’s not going to be a bloodbath at all. And at the end of the day, when the dust settles, we’re going to be a lot better off.”
The linebacker from Spanish Fort will be transferring to NC State, he told On3.
Dixon spent the past season with Alabama football. He played in three games as a true freshman: Western Kentucky, Missouri and Mercer. That allows him to not spend a year of eligibility, so he should have four years left of college football if he so chooses.
Dixon is listed at 6-3, 211 pounds. He was the No. 18 edge rusher in the 2024 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite.
Dixon joins Justin Okoronkwo as former Crimson Tide linebackers who made decisions for their future homes Friday. Okoronkwo is heading to South Carolina, he announced. Meanwhile, Jeremiah Alexander, another depth linebacker, is transferring to Clemson.
The winter window for Alabama players to enter the transfer portal has now closed. But players in the portal can still make decisions as to where they will play next.
An Alabama congressman who is a staunch supporter of President-elect Donald Trump on Friday announced he has cosponsored a bill that would allow Trump to negotiate to reacquire the Panama Canal.
“The Panama Canal is a critical asset that we built and should have never given up,” said U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise.
“China’s growing influence in this region is a threat to our national security and economic interests. President Trump is right. We need to put America first and prevent any foreign power from having undue influence over a waterway that is essential for U.S. commerce. This bill empowers President Trump to negotiate for its reacquisition, ensuring that America remains strong and secure.”
Along with annexing Canada and purchasing Greenland from Denmark, Trump’s new expansionist foreign policy includes returning the Panama Canal to American control from the Republic of Panama, which assumed control of the strategic waterway on Dec. 31, 1999.
Five members of Congress from Alabama have joined 20 of their colleagues in signing a bipartisan letter to the Biden Administration expressing “major concern” over what they say is an attempt to renegotiate provisions of a trade agreement.
Of particular importance to the Alabama delegation are how any changes might affect Vulcan Materials Corp. and its long-running dispute with the Mexican government.
U.S. Reps. Dale Strong, Barry Moore, Terri Sewell, Gary Palmer and Robert Aderholt signed the letter, dated Jan. 9.
The letter was sparked by reports that the U.S. Trade Representative is attempting to negotiate new provisions of the U.S. -Mexico- Canada Agreement and the U.S.-Columbia Trade Promotion Agreement. According to opponents of the move, the action would strip some investor protections from the agreement.
Palmer has called for a briefing to hear why the administration has taken this action.
The members of Congress, in their letter, are arguing that the Biden Administration should let any disputes be handled during the incoming Trump Administration, scheduled to take office Jan. 20. They believe any renegotiations might jeopardize ongoing disputes between U.S.-based companies and the nations.
The letter also complains that Congress and affected businesses were not adequately consulted.
This dispute is of particular interest with Birmingham-based Vulcan Materials, which is currently in active arbitration with the Mexican government.
Vulcan Materials has owned and operated a limestone quarry in Mexico for more than 35 years. The Mexican government in 2018 prohibited Vulcan from operating on two of its three parcels of land. Vulcan began arbitration proceedings to recover damages.
Former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador threatened to declare the property a natural protected area or seize it by force if Vulcan didn’t accept a $360 million offer for the gravel pits.
Vulcan maintains the Punta Venado deep-water port facility has an estimated value of more than $1 billion.
A Birmingham-area Democrat is seeking a national seat that could bring renewed attention to a state that has not been a stronghold for her party in decades.
State Senator Merika Coleman today announced her candidacy for treasurer of the Democratic National Committee.
Coleman, who lives in Pleasant Grove, touts her more than two decades of legislative experience and a call for greater financial transparency as strong points of her campaign. She served 20 years in the Alabama House of Representatives before joining the Alabama Senate in 2022.
“While I am new to the DNC’s internal leadership structure, I am not new to the Democratic Party,” she said. “I’ve spent my career championing Democratic values, fighting for equity, and building coalitions that drive meaningful change.”
Democratic Party leaders elect their new leaders Feb. 1, at their winter meeting in Washington D.C.
The meeting comes at a time where Democrats must rebuild their infrastructure and strategy after losing both the presidency and their slim majority in the Senate following the election of Donald Trump, who returns to the White House Jan. 20. Republicans will then control every branch of federal government.
Alabama has been a firm GOP ally in state and national elections for nearly 30 years.
“I am honored to step forward for this critical role at such a pivotal moment for our party and our nation,” Coleman said.
Coleman said she wants to enhance transparency and accountability within the party’s financial systems.
“Democrats lead the way in fighting for integrity and justice, and our party’s financial practices must reflect those same values,” she said.
