Episode 341: The End of an Era: Reflecting on Nick Saban's Retirement and the Future of College Football

Feel the ground shake beneath your feet as college football undergoes a colossal change with the retirement of Nick Saban. We're here with Stevie Lee to unpack what this means for the Crimson Tide and the consequences reverberating across the sport. Get ready to join us in a heartfelt salute to a coaching legend whose career is replete with triumphs and trophies, and engage in our quest to pinpoint who dares to fill those formidable shoes. With the news rocking Tuscaloosa to its core, we speculate on the reshuffling of strategies and players as we ponder the future of Alabama football under a new regime.

Austin, Texas, isn't just a city pulsing with life—it's a haven for coaches like Steve Sarkisian to set down roots and forge their legacies. We share candid tales, including my own brush with destiny when I nearly met Saban himself, and why I chose the burnt orange of Texas over LSU's purple and gold, a decision that reverberates to this day. As we reflect on the relentless energy of a 72-year-old coach who can match wits with the best of them, we also look ahead to the shifting tides of college football coaching and the enduring mark left by these icons on the young athletes they mentor. So, tune in and join the conversation on this era's close and the dawn of a new epoch in the thrilling world of college football.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

I know the winter season just begun here in central Texas, but it's actually the ideal time to start talking about your HVAC unit or your air conditioning. I'm Sean Clinch, the host of Stories Inside the Mankay podcast, and our partners and friends at Honest Plumbing and Air. They are the ideal group and set of people who will take care of you, because we all know our summers are long and hot and if you think your AC unit is on the brink right now, the winter season is the best time price wise, because we're all looking for bargains. We're all looking for an idea to fit things into our budget. So give Honest Plumbing and Air a call at the number on your screen 512-238-2058. Honest Plumbing and Air, wear a handshake. You'll meet some. Hey, the best to ever do it. And that's not arguable. That is fact.

Speaker 1: 1:04

Nick Saban well, he's calling it quits. We're going to dive deep into it. Let's talk about it. Before you ask. You ought to see the other guy and you know I took one of the hardest hits about in power game and, unlike some of our players who have to go to the medical tent like I always say, they don't make them like they used to Nick Saban done, calls it quits, and of course I could think of anyone else better. Even though we call these little mini episodes, let's talk about it. Had to talk to our guy Stevie Lee. What's?

Speaker 1: 1:56

going on man From the pass rush man. I hate that we usually have a break and we're doing these post football season every other week, that being the pass rush with the guy Stevie Lee man. It's good, it's just a lot happening for the middle of a week.

Speaker 2: 2:12

The coaching carousel continues, right God.

Speaker 1: 2:16

Keep care of it.

Speaker 2: 2:17

But the biggest news man. That's crazy.

Speaker 1: 2:20

That's Nick Saban retiring, and before we move forward, man, we got to give a shout out to our girl roofing, and Stevie knows a little bit about them that he sums it up in one sentence.

Speaker 2: 2:34

Hard girl roofing knows on your roof.

Speaker 1: 2:36

That's right. We love the hard groves. They're family to us, absolutely. Yeah, man, nick Saban, I mean we knew it would have everything, every good thing in story of life, but were you mentally prepared for this whatsoever?

Speaker 2: 2:55

No, it caught me by surprise, man. I figured that Mel Rowe had another year, right? Yeah, Well, he's a. What year is he? I think he's got one more year One more year. I thought that he would go out with him and they have another run at it next year and they were in the college football playoffs last year or this season and have at least one more run at it. But now it wasn't on my radar at all. Man, when I saw the news flash I was like what that means? I'm getting old.

Speaker 1: 3:32

I mean, look at this 17 years at Alabama, 29 losses, six national championships, but seven total as a college football head coach at one at LSU, and you combine everywhere he's been to Lido, michigan State, lsu and Bama almost 300 wins. I mean, and that's just I mean he surpassed Bear Brandt.

Speaker 2: 4:04

Yeah, and I don't think that you're off by saying he's the greatest college football coach ever. I mean, am I, am I wrong, or what?

Speaker 1: 4:18

do you think I think the no, I'm going to go ahead and say ever. I mean you can go back into the old college legends like Amos Alonso, this, this, some really good coaches that have Darrell Royal, bo Schembechler there's so many. If you it depends what generation you're talking about there's so many, I mean, and I'm about to say that you've got to keep it to the college game. He is the best ever. Do it because in this modern era, to have the dynasty that he had and someone could argue the dynasty Was limited because there weren't as many back to back but still to be relevant, nationally relevant and relevant to the top four or five in the country every year.

Speaker 1: 5:14

And Even Mac Brown, during your years, I mean, and Bob Stoops, I mean there's been some great coaches. But since he took over at Alabama and he did it at LSU, I mean it's. He took a break there To try coaching and the NFL level with the Dolphins, went back to the college game. But even when you were playing, what did you think of Nick Saban? Because he was at LSU, when you were at Texas?

Speaker 2: 5:46

Yeah, we actually played Nick Saban when we played LSU in the Cotton Bowl and we beat him. So I was never, I was never scared of Nick Saban, man, come on. But you know Roy Williams had to go off in that game for us to even win and then they lost to us and they Cotton Bowl in the next years when they went on to win the national championship at LSU. Yeah, and so you know he he always put together a great coaching staff we get. We know, because the coach that we got came off him under his tree, you know, and the people that are a rumor to take over his position are mostly most guys are under his tree as well.

Speaker 1: 6:42

Yeah so. Naturally, we knew. I think you and I could have predicted this, but naturally, sark is being listed as a potential Successor. I'm just gonna, before you get your feedback. Stevie, I got to put this out there. I don't envy anyone who follows up Saban.

Speaker 2: 7:06

Yes, big, big shoes to feel right behind them, you know. But for me though, man, I don't. I don't see Sark or his wife, l'oreal, moving back to Tuscaloosa Alabama. I mean, you got everything you need right here in beautiful, sunny Austin, texas, where L'Oreal can do whatever she wants to do here in town, or all the shopping that she needs to do here in town. They shoot down the San Antonio to some Spurs games, shoot over to Houston, shoot over to Dallas and hang out here in Austin. This is from what they're going to be building here, what Sark is building here at the University of Texas. You don't want to go and start it all over in Tuscaloosa Alabama, you know. No, I get it.

Speaker 1: 8:01

I get it. I think it's down to two people. I mean, well, first off, let me ask you this. I'll say this Davos Winnie has to be one of them and Lane Kiffin has to be the other. But what's going to be expected? I mean, what if they start having a margin of year where they're winning eight, nine games? It can happen, it has happened before.

Speaker 2: 8:30

Yeah, and you're right, it can happen and there are some good names out there for coaching wise, and so I think honestly, I think this is called us by surprise, but I don't know if it's called the Alabama Athletic Department by surprise. Really, hopefully it didn't, hopefully he gave them a heads up and you need to get a short list together. So I'm thinking that they may have something and they may have some down years Because, like we said, those are some huge shoes to fill and I hope they give whomever they get in there some grace, but they may get someone in there that keep the current staff together and just manage the whole team.

Speaker 1: 9:28

Cohesiveness and it seems like he's left the program in a good spot. Back in the FP, the great run they had winning the SEC that's not like they've. You know how Mack went out. He went out eight and five that final year. But my deal is I want to venture to throw this out at you Surely, surely, this would not be released unless they have someone either locked up or seriously in conversations with about a deal, trying to work out a deal.

Speaker 2: 10:05

That's what I'm thinking. And also, you release this when recruits can flip, you know. So these recruit, these coaches got to be on the phone with these recruits. It was like we got something, we got a plan, we got something under our belt. Just hang tight for a couple of days and it's going to be a you know what I mean. They got to be doing something like that. So it's mitigating losses, I guess, and trying not to lose so many recruits coming to Alabama. But I think for me it would probably. It would probably move them to try to keep that whole staff together and try to just get someone at the head figure. You know yeah.

Speaker 1: 11:03

It's. This is a seismic wave that has gone through, yeah. In college football.

Speaker 2: 11:10

So I think tomorrow we'll start to hear about the recruits and what they're going to be doing, that they, that Some that have committed there, and see if they're staying committed. You're going to have one or two, three, four fall off and decommit or say that they're going to start looking elsewhere. But I think Alabama Athletic Department know what they're doing. I think, yeah, they knew what they're doing by hiring Nick and giving him the money that he deserved, and and and also giving that that staff what they needed to be successful. So I think they know what they're doing down there. Alabama has enough money for them to go out there and get anyone that they want. But they got to keep the team together because this is a whole new new deal where the players can lead now too, you know, and transfer, going to transfer portal. We got a week. We're going to wait and see tomorrow, in the next couple of days, if they're even going to be players jump and ship now too. So this is not.

Speaker 2: 12:21

This is the. This is the beginning to see what else is going to happen at down in Tuscaloosa. Stevie.

Speaker 1: 12:31

I want to say and I got to go back and look because of the portal deal changes I want to say that this is kind of strategic. If my dates are accurate, I think the deadline for players to enter the portal was January 8th.

Speaker 2: 12:51

Right, and you might be right. Oh, he announced his retirement after the date. That's strategic. That's the same thing Bob Stoops did over at Oklahoma after the kids, after signing days when he retired, you know. But anyway, I can, I can get on a soapbox for that. But you might be right, but they can't. Doesn't open back up after spring. That's the I'm just I can't.

Speaker 1: 13:23

It's hard for me to keep up with it all because it is. It's not that it's changing drastically as far the portal just like signing periods, there are different periods, and this is the quiet period too, from my understanding. As far as recruiting, there were recruits cut off guard by this, yeah, especially those who who have not signed yet.

Speaker 2: 13:52

Right.

Speaker 1: 13:53

Or being recruited at the moment. The other Codesets of note that Bo Davis came back to Texas, did a great job, had that big round the bus two years ago, three years ago and names. I have a going back to where it all started and his son apparently, apparently I think is transferred from Southeast Louisiana to LSU so he can coach his son. I can't blame it for that. But this is a bigger loss for Texas and people realize huge loss.

Speaker 2: 14:33

It's a huge loss. He was. He's I think he's the best defensive lines coach in the country. He showed you by grooming a outland trophy winner this year. I've seen him in practice. He knows exactly what he's talking about. He knows how to relate to the kids and the kids know how to respond to him. So getting someone in here that's going on, you know, pick up where he left off, is gonna and and our D line has big shoes to fill, it's gonna be. I mean, we got some, we have some good backups, but losing Murphy and Trivandre, those are huge shoes to fill. Now we got to fill the coaching spot too. So you know, sarp, this is why we pay Sarp to go out there and find them, you know.

Speaker 1: 15:29

You got to find the next big ones, man. Yeah, I really appreciate. I hate this because we're, you know, but we're talking about an end of something great. But yeah, I think we all knew that the time was coming, just did not expect that. I mean, do you even think Pete Carroll, who is no longer the Seahawks head coach after, I think, 14 seasons, you think that that's a possibility to bring him to Tuscaloosa? They can man.

Speaker 2: 15:57

I mean, they got the money to bring him down there. You go from what? Where do you go? From USC to Seattle. You went from LA to Seattle, to Tuscaloosa, alabama man. But A.

Speaker 2: 16:13

Change of pace. You know a good change of pace, but that could happen, man. But I also thought about my beloved coach, coach Brown. The two oldest coaches in college football were Nick Saban and Mac Brown. Now Mac Brown is the oldest coach in college football. When is he gonna hang it up? I mean, he did his time on ESPN, had a real cush job, flying back and forth to different games and Making appearances all over ESPN, and he said you know what? I want to get back into coaching.

Speaker 2: 16:49

I don't want to go back to the ESPN seat, you know.

Speaker 1: 16:52

I bet Mac and Sally. Finally, I'd say if it's not soon, it's within the next five years.

Speaker 2: 16:59

Yeah, they, I think 72 years old man You're seven years past retirement age still out there Running around with kids at a high level, you know so recruiting and man, he just got it.

Speaker 1: 17:14

It's got a little swagger to it.

Speaker 2: 17:16

Yeah, he does, he does I. Actually I like seeing him when he comes back for his fundraiser here in Austin, because he is Jordan brand, down from head to toe in the powder blue man. It's so cool. He got out, he went, we went to, I went play this golf tournament and he gets out Of the truck with some Jordan one lows golf shoes and I just said, coach, I wear a size 15 man. He's like, alright, I got you. I haven't seen those shoes yet, but but yeah, man, mac. Mac is the the oldest college active college football coach right now, man, so that's off to him still doing it.

Speaker 1: 18:04

Yeah, I think that's big man, that's, that's pretty cool. Yeah, we've seen some greats. I'll be honest with you I never I never did get to meet coach Saban. I don't. Of all the greats that I've been able to interact with, I've never met coach Saban. Yeah, never did, did you?

Speaker 2: 18:18

I didn't meet him face to face, but he called he called my house Trying to flip me and Philip, philip Geiger. He came to Texas. We went to high school together and we came to college together. I had already, I had, committed to Mac Brown and the University of Texas around December December of 99, is like mid to end of December 99 and then after the season, lsu hired him and he called the house right when he he got hired, got the job, he called my house and I'm like, yeah, I already committed to Texas and I'm going to Texas and he's like good luck. You know, then I didn't know who he was, who Nick Saban would have gone, come up to be. You know what I mean. Yeah, nick Saban wasn't Nick Saban then at the time, you know. But I I told him no, turning down in state with my, my choice at the University of Texas and Still love that choice.

Speaker 2: 19:28

You know, even though LSU won a national championship while I was in college, you know I could have been on one of those teams and a lot of my friends was on that. Those teams I played against a lot of those guys in Louisiana and I played. I played with Some of those guys on the D line Byron Dawson, my linebacker, philip Maxwell. He was at LSU, hester. You remember running back Hester? Yeah, he was behind us, but he went to my high school as well. Then there was Josh and Abram booty, that was Cisco Perkins, there was Robert Davis. All those guys are from evangel. So we had a little pipeline from evangel to LSU and, you know, nick Saban thought he was gonna open that pipeline back up with me and Philip, but we came on over to Texas, change it up, yeah directed the talent.

Speaker 2: 20:24

Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1: 20:27

Pipeline to Austin, Texas. Baby, yeah man, yeah man it's. Oh. Oh, I don't be. It'll be fun to see how all this transpires. We've seen it happen, but we never. We've not seen it by the best ever. Do it. Yeah, there's a big splash today.

Speaker 2: 20:45

It was. It was a stop what you're doing and see if this is true. And I got multiple beings on my phone. I was like, yeah, this dude is retiring, as it's crazy. I don't know what they're doing down there in Tuscaloosa right now. But then I saw I was telling you. I saw that they're celebrating over at Auburn. Of course, toomers corner.

Speaker 1: 21:05

Yeah, that's funny.

Speaker 2: 21:07

Yeah, it's college football, man you got to love it, man, speaking of the SEC.

Speaker 1: 21:15

You see that Jersey, that one of the recruits for Texas was on his visit and they let him suit up in the uniform and had the SEC patch already on the ball. That's good stuff, man yeah, that's cool.

Speaker 2: 21:28

I haven't seen it yet. I didn't see that. I gotta find that that's Gonna add to it.

Speaker 1: 21:33

So you know, I would venture to say Alabama, there'd be some players Try to bounce out of there because that's not the coach they signed up to play for. And yeah, they're gonna be. They're gonna not wouldn't say damage control, but they're gonna do their best. Yeah, keep it all together. Absolutely well, steve, we will find out. Absolutely well, steve, we'll follow it. Brother, and this is a wow, seismic, seismic. Nick saving, calling it quits. Honestly think he's done for good man. Hey, brother, I appreciate you.

Speaker 2: 22:07

No problem, man no problem at all.

Speaker 1: 22:09

Hey, much love to you and the og man cave boys and the hard-growing family, and whenever in doubt, whenever in doubt, it's always good to talk about it.