Even before turning 70-years-old last season, there is a burning question every offseason as to when Nick Saban will hang it up and ride off into the sunset.
Unfortunately for opposing teams, Saban enters his 16th season with no signs of slowing down. He’s coming off a national championship appearance with his two best players returning while turning in another superb recruiting class to reload the rest of the roster.
Even if media speculation continues Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has zagged in a different direction. During an interview with Sports Illustrated Kiffin shared that he doesn’t believe Saban’s endgame is approaching soon but instead will coach the Crimson Tide forever and will continue his success along the way.
“People always ask me when Nick Saban will retire,” Kiffin said. “Before, I said, ‘Not for a long time.’ Now it’ll be never. Why would he? You get the best players, have free agency to pluck the best players.
“He’ll be there forever. he might double his championships.”
During the interview, the former Alabama offensive coordinator detailed how Saban’s team will continue its dominance over college football. Kiffin was asked about name, image and likeness and the parity it could hopefully bring to the sport, but he believes that the programs like Alabama will only become stronger with the extra resources at its disposal.
“If you’re Alabama, how does your gap not continue to widen?” Kiffin said. “If you have NIL, you can ger the players. you were already signing No. 1 classes. Now there’s a money factor involved, and you have top resources for that and you have the portal so you replacing. If you have holes anywhere with guys leaving, they’re just going to replace them. You see them doing it. Here’s the best players out there not playing at Alabama. They can come take these spots.
“Take professional sports. (Imagine if) instead of winning and drafting at the end, you win and draft at the top. You are Team Whatever and you draft in the top five every year and get a higher cap than everybody you are playing against, and in free agency, you get the first pick by using your higher cap. How is that not going to separate?
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
