Nick Saban, one of the most accomplished and decorated coaches in college football history, will join ESPN, it was announced Wednesday following the recent news of his retirement from the University of Alabama. Saban will work primarily as an analyst on the set of College GameDay Built by The Home Depot (regular season and post-season editions), ESPN’s award-winning weekly college football road show.
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.
Saban, who has made many guest appearances on College GameDay through the years, will join a team that includes host Rece Davis, analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee, as well as college football insider Pete Thamel, reporters Jen Lada and Jess Sims, and college football betting analyst ‘Stanford Steve’ Coughlin.
“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,” said Saban. “I’ll do my best to offer additional insights and perspectives to contribute to College GameDay, the ultimate Saturday tradition for college football fans.”
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said: “Nick Saban is a singular, iconic presence in college football. 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.”
Additional details, including Saban’s first assignment, will be announced at a later date.
Over the course of 28 years as a college coach, Saban’s track record of success is historic. He has captured seven national championships, including six at Alabama (one at LSU). His record as a head coach is 292-71-1, and he won 12 conference championships and 19 bowl games. His teams never had a losing record for a season.
In addition to the past 17 years at Alabama (since 2007), Saban also served as head coach at LSU (2000-04), Michigan State (1995-99) and Toledo (1990). He was also head coach of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins (2005-06).
ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot had a monumental 2023, celebrating its 30th season on the road (37th season overall) and finishing as the second most-watched season since 2011 and fourth-best all time.