Beginning this season, the “SEC on ABC franchise” will debut with the Miami–Florida matchup Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m., according to a release. The SEC on ABC brand will include “a new graphics package, theme music and more.”

According to a release, all special date games and ESPN’s broadcast schedule for the first three weeks of the season will be revealed May 30. The network’s Bowl Season schedule will also be unveiled June 6.

READ: Colorado-Nebraska primetime kickoff announced for Week 2 matchup on NBC

READ: Joe Alt cherishes Notre Dame career, hopes to put ‘best foot forward’ with Los Angeles after No. 5 overall NFL Draft selection

ESPN’s College GameDay, which will welcome former Alabama head coach Nick Saban on set this fall, will begin the season in Dublin, Ireland, at noon on Aug. 24 when Florida State matches up in Week 0 with Georgia Tech. It will be the first time the show originates from outside the United States.

Saban and College GameDay will return stateside Aug. 31 from College Station where new Aggies head coach Mike Elko and Texas A&M will face Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m.

ESPN will also broadcast the Southeastern Conference debuts for Oklahoma and Texas. The Sooners will open at home Aug. 30 against Temple at 7 p.m., and Texas will host Colorado State on Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m.

Deion Sanders and Colorado will also make their debut in the Big 12 Conference Aug. 29 when the Buffaloes host North Dakota State at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

READ: Former Penn State SAF King Mack transfers to Alabama

ESPN’s run of teams in new conferences continues in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Aug. 30 when Stanford, departing the Pac-12 Conference, plays TCU at 10:30 p.m.

ESPN will also carry Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama debut against Western Kentucky at 7 p.m. on Aug. 31.

ABC will begin its Week 1 coverage in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium where Dabo Swinney and Clemson will take on Kirby Smart and Georgia at noon.

Here is ABC and ESPN’s Weeks 0-1 schedule.

Week 0

Florida State at Georgia Tech — Aug. 24 at noon on ESPN

Florida A&M at Norfolk State — Aug. 24 at 7:30 p.m. on ABC

Week 1

North Dakota State at Colorado — Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. on ESPN

Temple at Oklahoma — Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. on ESPN

TCU at Stanford — Aug. 30 at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN

Clemson at Georgia — Aug. 31 at noon on ABC

Miami at Florida — Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC

Colorado State at Texas — Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN

Western Kentucky at Alabama — Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. on ESPN

Notre Dame at Texas A&M — Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. on ABC

USC at LSU — Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. on ABC

Boston College at Florida State — Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

The post ABC, ESPN unveil Weeks 0-1 broadcast schedule appeared first on Saturday Glory.

When Drake Maye walked into Gillette Stadium for the first time in his life after being picked No. 3 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, he brought his three best friends with him in the form of his three older brothers.

Luke Maye is the oldest who played basketball at North Carolina from 2015-19 and currently plays basketball overseas in Japan; Cole Maye played baseball at Florida and was part of the Gators’ national championship-winning team in 2017; and Beau Maye was a walk-on part of the North Carolina men’s basketball team in 2022-23. They come from a family full of Tar Heel blue, as father Mark Maye played football in 1983-88 and mother Aimee Maye attended North Carolina.

READ: Former Oregon State, Nebraska coach Mike Riley appointed to CFP Selection Committee

When asked if he has any bragging rights over his three older brothers, Drake Maye doesn’t think he does just yet.

“I think in the Maye family, championships kind of rules over anything so maybe until I get one of those,” Drake Maye said. “They got two national champions over there so I think that still trumps being a first-round draft choice.”

READ: Georgia approves new contract for Kirby Smart; Smart becomes college football’s highest paid coach

READ: MAC Offensive Player of the Year Peny Boone to transfer to UCF

When it comes to championships, the Patriots know a thing or two about them.

New England is tied alongside Pittsburgh with an NFL record six Super Bowl victories, and all six were under quarterback Tom Brady.

Drake Maye said he has his sights on jersey No. 10 rather than Brady’s No. 12. They’ll get a chance to meet one another soon, and that could come June 12 when Brady is enshrined into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Drake Maye said Brady is the “G.O.A.T.” and that he hopes to learn as much as he can from him.

“I think any quarterback’s got to be a Tom Brady fan,” Drake Maye said. “And I think they’re already talking about June 12 is going to be sold out for Tom and the celebration for him, so just, it will be an honor to get to meet him, to get to pick his brain. And you know, one of the greats to ever do it so it’d just be an awesome moment to get to meet him. And like I said, just be a sponge, soak it all in.”

Drake Maye is New England’s first draft choice since parting ways with former head coach Bill Belichick. College football wasn’t the only form of football to see legendary coaches step aside from their longtime posts, as Belichick departed the Patriots after 24 seasons in the NFL and the Seattle Seahawks moved on from former USC head coach Pete Carroll after 14 years, while in college Nick Saban retired after 17 years at Alabama.

The Patriots named former first round pick from Tennessee and defensive lineman Jerod Mayo as their next head coach in January. Mayo was a member of New England’s Super Bowl XLIX-winning team in 2014, a captain for seven-straight seasons from 2009-15 and he played his entire eight-year career with the Patriots.

READ: Jayden Daniels realizes draft dream after No. 2 overall selection by Washington Commanders

Drake Maye said Mayo is “a player’s coach,” and he could tell “right away” how the Patriots drew toward Mayo upon his taking of New England’s head coaching position. Drake Maye also said he sees parallels between the Patriots and North Carolina where both are “family-type” teams, and he believes Mayo can continue the Patriots’ winning traditions that make them the organization that they are today.

“It’s still a family-oriented organization,” Drake Maye said. “That means a lot to me, and I think every time I’ve seen coach Mayo he’s been in a workout outfit just putting in work. He’s still getting it in so just excited to play for him. Like I said, player’s coach, and understands it, know what it’s like playing as a Patriot, and I think that’s something that you just can’t buy nowadays being in his position.”

Mayo’s new quarterback said he’s “got to do my part before I get on other people’s part” and assume New England’s starting role. Drake Maye said he’s hopeful to be the starter down the line, and “a leader” at the same time.

As a Tar Heel, Drake Maye made the Second-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference team or better in each of his two seasons as starter, and he threw for 8,018 yards and 63 touchdowns to 16 interceptions in 30 games. The Huntersville, North Carolina, native was named ACC Player of the Year as a redshirt freshman in 2022 while breaking the single-season school records with 4,321 passing yards and 342 completions in 517 attempts.

READ: Entire UAB football team signs up for Athletes.org

Drake Maye said he hopes to show New England that he’s “a grinder” and prove to his teammates and others that he’s someone “who’s going to put the work in.” After a decorated career at North Carolina, Maye will look to make the jump to the NFL within a historic franchise.

“I think the one thing I’m looking forward to show the Patriots organization (is) just that I love football,” Drake Maye said. “This sport, you know, I don’t do anything else besides winning and hate losing. I think me and my brothers, we did that growing up no matter anything. Keeping score, just didn’t want to lose and have the bragging rights. So I’m looking forward to showing that and I think I fit right in in this organization.”

The post Drake Maye believes he can ‘fit right in’ New England after No. 3 overall draft pick appeared first on Saturday Glory.

On Tuesday the Georgia Athletics Board announced it approved a contract extension for Smart making him “the highest paid coach in college football” after increasing his salary to $13 million a year. It will keep Smart with the Bulldogs two additional years through 2033.

READ: MAC Offensive Player of the Year Peny Boone to transfer to UCF

“I want to thank President (Jere W.) Morehead, Josh Brooks and the Board of Directors for extending my contract at the University of Georgia,” Smart stated in a release. “I continue to be grateful and humbled by our administration’s commitment to our football program. The current culture in collegiate athletics is everchanging and as challenging as it has ever been, so I truly appreciate the leadership that our team is continually provided. I have an immense pride for representing my alma mater and look forward to that relationship continuing for many years to come.”

According to a release, Smart will receive “an average increase of $1.75 million annually,” and “his maximum amount of bonuses per year will go from $1.3 million to $1.55 million” based on the new 12-team College Football Playoff format.

According to Chris Low of ESPN, Smart’s extension is part of a 10-year, $130 million contract. Smart’s salary increases from $10.75 million.

READ: Jayden Daniels realizes draft dream after No. 2 overall selection by Washington Commanders

Smart now holds the title of top paid coach in college football, and he just might be considered the most decorated coach in the sport.

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban retired this offseason, meaning Smart is the Southeastern Conference’s winningest coach with a 94-16 record. Smart led Georgia to back-to-back CFP National Championships in 2021-22, becoming the first team to do so since the Crimson Tide in 2011-12.

Smart and the Bulldogs just missed returning to the CFP last season for a chance at a three-peat defending their national titles. They went 13-1 in 2023 falling to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game and sliding to No. 6 in the CFP rankings before beating No. 5 Florida State 63-3 in the Orange Bowl.

Smart’s senior class last year departed the program with a 50-4 career record, which set a new school record.

READ: Entire UAB football team signs up for Athletes.org

The Georgia Athletics Board also announced it approved a one-year extension for Brooks, the school’s athletics director. Morehead stated Brooks “has done a terrific job” and “positioned UGA Athletics to thrive in a rapidly changing college sports landscape.”

Brooks will see his salary increase to $1,275,000, and he’ll remain at Georgia through 2030 according to a release.

“I am extremely grateful for the trust placed in me by President Morehead and the UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors,” Brooks stated in a release. “Serving in this role and working alongside our outstanding student-athletes, coaches and staff is truly the privilege of a lifetime. I also want to thank President Morehead and the Board of Directors for Coach Smart’s well-deserved contract extension. His success in the first eight years leading our football program is unmatched, and his generosity and leadership as part of our university community has made a lasting impact.”

The post Georgia approves new contract for Kirby Smart; Smart becomes college football’s highest paid coach appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The 2024 NFL Draft will begin Thursday at 8 p.m., and the former Washington quarterback is among plenty of quarterback hopefuls who will hear their name called. Penix is coming off a season during which he finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, led the Huskies to the Pac-12 Conference Championship after a perfect regular season and advanced all the way to the national championship in the program’s second College Football Playoff appearance.

READ: Michael Penix Jr. set out to ‘write my own narrative’ at Washington Pro Day

Penix wrote a letter to NFL general managers that published Monday in The Players’ Tribune. He addresses immediately the question about his four season-ending injuries in four seasons including two ACL tears, and later in the letter he states he’d “be more worried if I had never been injured.”

Penix emphasized an important lesson he’s learned in the pre-draft process in that “there’s more to it than the All-22” football film.

READ: Penix displays ‘the heart’ and ‘the guts’ during No. 7 Washington’s 36-33 win over No. 8 Oregon

The Dade City, Florida, native recalled playing tackle football on concrete in 95-degree heat growing up, stating, “You find out quick if you’re built for this game or not.”

Penix’s college career began at Indiana in 2018, somewhere he didn’t expect to go as he stated “Two weeks before signing day I was told by the team I was committed to for two years that I no longer had a scholarship.” After one torn ACL Penix helped the Hoosiers rise to No. 7 in the Associated Press Top-25 poll in 2020, though he retore his ACL in the second-to-last game of the regular season that year.

Penix shouted out in his letter former Indiana offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer, who was his head coach at Washington and later took the Alabama opening after Nick Saban’s retirement. Penix credited DeBoer for seeing “something in me that the rest of the college football world didn’t,” and he stated they “left our imprint” on Washington.

“Today I look at Coach Kalen DeBoer, Ryan Grubb and Nick Sheridan,” Penix stated. “The ones that had to make the same decision that you’ll be faced with on draft day. They put their belief in me, and I did everything I could to pay it back to them. I look at the guys on the team that I talked into staying at Washington, who trusted that I was going to elevate them. Now seeing Troy Fautanu, Roger Rosengarten, Ja’Lynn Polk, Jack Westover, Rome Odunze, Devin Culp, Jalen McMillan, and Dillon Johnson all on the cusp of realizing their dream…. That is what brings me joy. As a QB, my job is to be an elevator. I need to uplift all those around me so that they too can be at their best. So just know if you put that same belief in me, history shows I hold up my end of the bargain.”

READ: Steve Sarkisian says Longhorns had to ‘recreate ourselves this spring’ after Orange-White Game

According to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 150 prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class on NFL.com, Penix is ranked No. 35 among the class of players.

In 2023, Penix led college football with 4,903 passing yards, nearly 400 more than the next closest passer. He threw for a career-high 36 touchdowns and averaged almost 327 passing yards per game.

Penix collected the 2023 Maxwell Award and made many All-America second teams after last season. In his career, Penix passed for more than 13,500 yards and 95 touchdowns in over 45 games. He has three-plus seasons of starting experience under his belt.

In a quarterback class containing two Heisman winners and several conference champions, Penix will have competition for a top draft spot. But Penix’s story is unique, and he’s stood tall through it all.

One team will select Penix in the draft later this week, and the experienced, veteran quarterback will begin his professional career seeking to make a similar impact he’s made throughout his football career — beat adversity.

The post ‘Adversity teaches a man a lot about himself’: Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. pens letter to NFL GMs in Players Tribune appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Alabama held its spring game on Saturday, ushering in the Kalen DeBoer era and presenting more than a dozen awards afterward.

For as much that can be taken from any spring game, the White team offense beat the Crimson team defense 34-28. More than 72,000 fans were in attendance.

READ: UNLV’s Barry Odom agrees to extended contract through 2028

DeBoer said it was a “great day, fun day just altogether” as the spring capped off with the exhibition. He said former head coach Nick Saban had a chance to get in front of the team which DeBoer said “was pretty cool.”

“Scrimmage-wise, shoot, if it was a half, right, it had been a tale of two halves,” DeBoer said. “But that’s why you keep playing. So many things that we’re going to get to learn from, from this scrimmage depending on what side of the ball you’re on.”

READ: Report: Hines Ward to become WR coach at Arizona State

Alabama’s offense produced 508 yards and eclipsed 200 on the ground and through the air.

Starting quarterback Jalen Milroe, who returned for a fourth season, went 3-for-9 with 100 passing yards. He had the longest play of the day on a 52-yard pass to Washington transfer Germie Bernard.

DeBoer didn’t dive too deep into Milroe’s individual performance, rather, emphasizing the progression of all Crimson Tide quarterbacks this spring. He did say he noticed quarterback play continues to “take that next step” and “have that progression.”

“I thought the protection, especially the first half to three quarters, the protection was as good as we’ve had,” DeBoer said. “Now, some of that’s attributed to, early on, just kind of being a little bit more maybe vanilla defensively, things like that. But the offense stayed ahead of the chains, stayed in positions where they could be dual threat, run-pass options, take your shots when they were there.”

READ: Report: Boston College WR Joseph Griffin Jr. enters transfer portal

Redshirt sophomore Ty Simpson led the quarterbacks with 102 yards on 7-of-12 completion. Redshirt freshmen Dylan Lonergan went 8-for-12 with 67 yards and Austin Mack also had a 66% completion for 33 pass yards.

Bernard led the receivers with 122 yards on three catches. He’ll be an interesting factor into the Alabama offense next fall after recording 419 receiving yards and four total touchdowns in 2023.

On the ground, junior Jam Miller carried the ball eight times for 83 yards scoring two touchdowns and breaking off a 48-yard run. Richard Young, who was rated among the top running backs in the class of 2023, had 29 rushing yards on seven carries including a touchdown.

READ: O.J. Simpson passes away

Defensively, freshman linebacker Justin Okoronkwo had 11 tackles, five solo, and a tackle for loss. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Jeremiah Alexander had seven tackles and freshman defensive back Red Morgan had two quarterback pressures.

Miller received the Dixie Howell Memorial Award as the game’s most valuable player. Morgan, Okoronkwo and freshmen defensive lineman Isaia Faga and linebacker Jayshawn Ross earned the Derrick Thomas Community Service Award, and 10 players received the Bart Starr Most Improved Player Award including Simpson.

DeBoer said the Walk of Champions and “seeing that and feeling the energy and the excitement” from some of his first Alabama traditions in person “was a lot of fun.” The Crimson Tide will now enter the summer months of the offseason, among the important dates being the transfer portal opening Tuesday through April 30 and the first game of 2024 on Aug. 31 against Western Kentucky.

“I thought the guys, as hard as they were playing, I mean, there was times where when they were out there just looking out for each other too,” DeBoer said. “I don’t care if it was offense to offense, defense to defense, but most importantly offense and defense playing the game the way it was supposed to be played. And the energy wanting to go out there and make the plays but also not putting the team at risk just to go out then make that one potential play that could put someone at risk. But the energy, the excitement kind of leading up to the spring game was something I think kind of hit me today.”

The post Kalen DeBoer says Crimson Tide learned ‘so many things’ from Alabama A-Day Game appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Judge will become part of the Rebels program less than three years removed from his most recent head coaching position in the NFL. He coached the Giants from 2020-21.

READ: Warren Sapp joins Deion Sanders, Colorado as grad assistant

“We are excited about the addition of Joe Judge to our staff,” Kiffin stated in a release. “Joe brings a tremendous amount of experience that will provide a significant impact to both our coaching staff and our players. We are excited about the contributions he will make to our team.”

Judge “officially joined the staff this week” in Oxford, Mississippi, according to a release.

Judge is no stranger to college football. He had some of the earliest work in his career come at the college level at both Alabama and Mississippi State.

READ: American Athletic Conference tabs Tim Pernetti as new commissioner

From 2005-07, Judge began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Bulldogs.

Two years later, Judge moved on and joined Nick Saban and Alabama where they’d win national championships in both 2009 and 2011.

Judge most recently served as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach with the New England Patriots the past two years before earning a promotion to assistant head coach in 2023.

Judge’s arrival comes during an offseason in which Ole Miss has revamped its administrative and coaching staffs. It hired Billy Glasscock to be the new Rebels general manager in February.

The post Joe Judge joins Ole Miss coaching staff appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Many have wondered when the federal government might get involved among the NCAA surrounding topics such as name, image and likeness, and things are getting down to crunch time in Congress.

Texas senator Ted Cruz hosted an NIL roundtable Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban was in attendance and shared his perspectives on how NIL has impacted college football since its inception in 2021, in addition to being joined by Crimson Tide athletics director Greg Byrne, Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips and women’s basketball players Hanna Cavinder and Haley Cavinder among others.

READ: Reports: Xavier Worthy’s Combine cleats, jersey to be displayed in Pro Football Hall of Fame

Saban has said NIL played a factor into his surprising retirement announced in January. Among the changes in college athletics also include the evolution of the transfer portal and conference realignment, and Saban experienced change in almost every aspect of coaching compared to when he started.

“All the things that I’ve believed in for all these years — 50 years of coaching — no longer exist in college athletics,” Saban said. “So it’s always about developing players. It was always about helping people be more successful in life.”

It didn’t become apparent to him until a conversation with his wife Terry Saban sparked a change in thought.

“She came to me like right before I retired and said, ‘Why are we doing this?'” Saban said. “And I said, ‘Well, what do you mean?’ She said, ‘All they care about is how much you’re going to pay them. They don’t care about how you’re going to develop them, which is what we’ve always done, so why are we doing this.’ So, you know, to me, that was sort of a red alert that we really are creating a circumstance here that is not beneficial to the development of young people.”

READ: Reports: QB Drew Pyne transfers to Missouri

Currently, the NCAA cannot enforce its NIL rules as the ongoing Tennessee and Virginia lawsuit plays out. This means that the possibility of third parties reaching out to recruits about possible NIL deals becomes more of a reality.

The possibility of student-athletes becoming “employees” was also a topic of discussion during the roundtable. Revenue sharing with student-athletes was discussed.

Saban set out upon his retirement to become an advocate for student-athletes. He’s said he wants to help “improve the quality of life” for players and still shape them to be better people.

The direction that college athletics is heading is unclear. There are many areas that still need addressed, whether that involves the federal government or not, and it remains to be seen just how soon legislation from Congress could be implemented to work out some of the issues that are prevalent today.

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According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Boston College will hire Doug Marrone “as the program’s new Senior Analyst for Football Strategy/Research.”

READ: Top 100 Offensive Tackle Micah DeBose Releases Top 10 Schools

Marrone has a long track record coaching football, much like his colleague O’Brien. Marrone was head coach in the NFL for a combined six years with two different franchises: the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Marrone was most recently head coach with the Jaguars from 2017-20.

READ: Reports: CFP reconsiders automatic byes amid possible 14-team Playoff

He transitioned back to college football upon his hiring to Nick Saban’s staff in 2021 to be Alabama’s offensive line coach.

Marrone then returned to the NFL as O-line coach with the New Orleans Saints from 2022-23.

The New York native also has previous college coaching stops at Georgia Tech, Georgia, Tennessee and Syracuse, while Marrone also spent time with the New York Jets from 2002-05.

O’Brien’s hire of Marrone gives Boston College three former NFL head coaches on staff joining senior offensive analyst Rob Chudzinski.

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Saban, who announced his retirement following his and the Crimson Tide’s eighth appearance in the College Football Playoff, will put on a headset and pick up a microphone for ESPN “primarily as an analyst on the set of College Gameday”, according to a release.

READ: Reports: Mike Elston departs Michigan, follows Jim Harbaugh to Los Angeles Chargers

“ESPN and College Gameday have played such an important role in the growth of college football, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to join their team,” Saban stated in a release. “I’ll do my best to offer additional insights and perspectives to contribute to College GameDay, the ultimate Saturday tradition for college football fans.”

Saban’s retirement sent shock waves around college football, and it also tipped a domino in the coaching carousel that has seen at least three head coaches take openings in succession of one another.

Kalen DeBoer departed Washington for the opening at Alabama, Jedd Fisch left his post at Arizona for the Huskies opening and Brent Brennan took the position with the Wildcats after coaching at San Jose State.

According to a release, Saban will “also contribute to ESPN’s extensive, multi-day NFL Draft coverage, and make appearances tied to SEC Media Days across ESPN platforms, including SEC Network.”

“Nick Saban is a singular, iconic presence in college football,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro stated in a release. “He is also an extremely gifted communicator, who will immediately add even more credibility, authority and entertainment value to ESPN, including our esteemed College GameDay show.”

READ: Penn State Lands Commitment from Four-Star Linebacker

Saban’s first assignment and additional details “will be announced at a later date,” according to a release.

ESPN’s College Gameday completed its 30th season on the road and 37th overall after last season. It finished as the “second-most watched season since 2011 and fourth-best all time,” according to a release.

The post Nick Saban joins ESPN College GameDay appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Nick Saban brought prestige upon the University of Alabama. 

Long before he arrived in Tuscaloosa, Saban was building a coaching dynasty. It wouldn’t be realized for some time after he started his coaching career, though it wouldn’t have happened any other way. 

Saban started his head coaching career at Toledo on Dec. 22, 1989. He went 9-2 in his lone season before heading back to the NFL where he’d already spent two years with the Houston Oilers from 1988-89. 

And 35 years later, on Jan. 10, his retirement shook the college football world. 

“I don’t think there’s any good time especially when you’re a coach because once you’re a coach you think you’re going to be a coach forever,” Saban told Rece Davis of ESPN. “But I actually thought that in hiring coaches, recruiting players, that my age started to become a little bit of an issue. People wanted assurances that I would be here for three years, five years, whatever, and that got harder and harder for me to be honest about.” 

After a season in which Alabama won the Southeastern Conference Championship following a 4^th and 31 conversion at Auburn and a dethroning of Georgia’s 29-game winning streak, Saban said last season “was grueling.” 

“It was a real grind for us to come from where we started to where we got to,” Saban said. “Took a little, little more out of me than usual, and when people mention the health issue, it was really just the grind of can you do this the way you want to do it? Can you do it the way you’ve always done it, and be able to sustain it and do it for the entire season? And if I couldn’t make a commitment to do that in the future, the way I think I have to do it, I thought maybe this was the right time based on those two sets of circumstances. That, like I said, there’s never a good time. But I thought maybe this was the right time.” 

Saban gave no indication prior to the 2023 season that it might be his last as head coach. But after his eighth appearance in the College Football Playoff, Saban decided it was the right time to retire. 

He said his role “was a little different this year” in terms of coaching, noting that he spent more time focusing on the defense. 

“Had to be more involved with the defense, that took a little more time, put a little more stress on me, made me feel like, maybe I wasn’t doing as good a job as I needed to in other parts of our team,” Saban said. “I just have a high standard for how I do things. And if I can’t, if I don’t feel like I’m living up to that standard, I’m really disappointed.”

Over the past several years in particular, college football has seen notable drastic change involving aspects such as the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness. 

None of those aspects had an effect on Saban’s decision to retire, he said. 

“You know, I’ve always been one that no matter what’s happened through the years, whether they went no huddle and you had to adapt to it, they threw RPOs and you had to adapt to it, we had a changing environment in college football,” Saban said. “My thing was always don’t complain about it, try to figure out what the best solution is so that you can compete well in whatever the environment is. And that’s always the approach that I’ve taken and the situation and circumstances that we’re in. But I will be dedicated to college football and the future of college football and trying to make that sport — as well as other sports and collegiate athletics and whether they’re revenue producing or not because I think they all create opportunities for lots of people — I’m going to be an advocate for trying to make the game as good as it can be.” 

It took conversations with his wife, Miss Terry, and numerous student-athletes before Saban settled on his decision to retire. 

Saban said conversations with players such as Malachi Moore and Caleb Downs “were probably the most difficult” because of the special relationships he’s forged over time. 

Saban said the areas he’d like to see growth is around the participation aspect of college athletics and to “improve the quality of life of the participants.” In being an advocate for student-athletes, Saban can assume that role immediately. 

Saban isn’t the only legendary coach to leave his post. In the NFL, Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll left their head coaching positions with the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, respectively, after more than a decade at the helm. 

Saban said he’s noticed the change sweeping across all levels of football, and to him, he sees how special it is. 

“I think it’s a tribute because I think it’s much more difficult to sustain success than it is to build a program, to take a 3-8 team and in three or four years make it a successful program,” Saban said. “I think to do it for a long time because people don’t react well to success. They react much better to failure. They’re more willing to change their ways, they’re more willing to develop the habits they need to develop to be successful. But when you’ve climbed the mountain successfully several times you become the mountain so therefore everybody’s shooting at you, everybody wants to beat you, everybody circles that game on their schedule as this is the game that we want to make sure we’re ready for and win.” 

So while Saban will enter retirement and former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer will succeed him, it’s not like Saban won’t still be around.

He’ll have an office at Alabama and a chance to be around the program almost as much as he has been. Saban wants to still be part of college football, and the Crimson Tide are affording him that opportunity.

And in the many opportunities Saban has created and taken, he still wants to inspire change and make an impact on someone else.

“We want to continue to do those types of things in the community, build houses for people,” Saban said. “It’s just part of having compassion for other people and trying to be helpful, and one of the things that make me sort of most proud is the number of players, whether it was Tua (Tagovailoa), Mac Jones, Bryce (Young), whoever it was, that I saw them working on houses for Miss Terry on a Saturday to build a house for some needy family, and now they all have foundations themselves and they’re dedicated to helping other people. So that’s one of my proudest moments as a coach that because those guys were involved in helping people here and doing things in the community that had an impact to help someone else have a better quality of life, they chose to do that in their future.” 

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According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Harbaugh was in Los Angeles for a second interview on Tuesday, and “he’s not expected to leave” to head back to Michigan.

READ: Reports: Will Rogers withdraws from transfer portal, to remain at Washington

The former San Francisco 49ers head coach returns to the NFL after a decade-long absence. Instead, he spent that time coaching his alma mater.

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Wolverines offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore is “the favorite” to succeed Harbaugh as head coach. Moore served as interim head coach for six games while Harbaugh was suspended for two separate instances this season.

Harbaugh coached Michigan for nine seasons, taking the Wolverines to the top of the college football world and winning the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship.

Harbaugh took over at Michigan after Brady Hoke prior to the 2015 season. He compiled an 89-25 record, including a 3-5 record against Ohio State in ‘The Game.’

READ: Reports: LSU to name Cortez Hankton, Joe Sloan co-offensive coordinators

Harbaugh earned his first win over the Buckeyes in 42-27 fashion during the 2021 season. The Wolverines made their first CFP appearance shortly after winning the Big Ten Conference Championship.

Michigan repeated as Big Ten champions in each of the past three years.

During his first stint in the NFL with the 49ers, Harbaugh went 44-19 and took San Francisco to the Super Bowl in 2012.

Harbaugh’s departure makes three CFP teams to lose their head coaches this offseason, as Nick Saban retired at Alabama and Kalen DeBoer left Washington to take the opening with the Crimson Tide.

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Bernard follows head coach Kalen DeBoer to the Crimson Tide program upon Nick Saban’s retirement.

READ: Reports: Former Alabama QB Julian Sayin to transfer to Ohio State

Bernard will give Alabama a familiar weapon under DeBoer. The 6-foot-1 receiver brought in 419 receiving yards on 34 receptions and scoring after two.

Bernard also provides a rushing threat and he scored two touchdowns on the ground last season. He totaled 43 yards on 13 carries.

The Las Vegas native is a former No. 53 receiver among the class of 2022 according to Rivals. Bernard was a three-star prospect in the transfer portal.

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Bernard also had a stint at Michigan State where he spent the 2022 season. He appeared in all 12 games as a true freshman and had 128 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Under updated NCAA rules, players are eligible to transfer twice and play immediately.

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