Alabama head coach Nick Saban spoke to reporters at 11 a.m. today at SEC Meetings in Destin, Fla.
Since his comments about Texas A&M’s recruiting class and NIL went viral, Saban was asked several times about his statement on Texas A&M “buying every player in its 2022 class.” He also said Jackson State paid a player $1 million in NIL funds to attend the program. According to Brandon Marcello of 247Sports, Saban is not accusing anyone of cheating.
Nick Saban: “I didn’t say anybody did anything wrong, and I’ve said everything I wanted to say about this. I should have never mentioned any individual institutions.”@TexasAgs reporter follows up later, asking if Jimbo Fisher is lying.#GigEm #RollTide #CFB pic.twitter.com/ZygMqLbNHf
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) May 31, 2022
“I didn’t say anybody did anything wrong, and I’ve said everything I wanted to say about this,” Saban said. “I should have never mentioned any individual institutions.”
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Saban added that he has “no problem at all” with Coach Jimbo Fisher.
After Saban made the comments on Texas A&M’s recruiting class on May 19, Fisher responded with a fiery press conference the next day. He had some sharp words for his former boss, including “narcissist” and “despicable” in terms of Saban’s comments.
Saban has tried to privately apologize to Fisher, but the Aggies’ head coach is not answering. Kirby Smart of Georgia offered an interesting perspective on the situation via Mike Rodak of AL.com.
Kirby Smart on Jimbo Fisher not talking to Nick Saban: “We don’t speak to each other, any of us. … They don’t call. I don’t call them. … It’s not commonplace for guys to be reaching out and be friendly when you compete on the field. … Not super unusual to me.”
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) May 31, 2022
“We don’t speak to each other, any of us,” Smart said of SEC coaches. “They don’t call. I don’t call them. … It’s not commonplace for guys to be reaching out and be friendly when you compete on the field. … Not super unusual to me.”
Smart added that his phone started “blowing up” during Fisher’s press conference. He told reporters they should be on the headphones during a game sometimes.
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“You’d think that was Mickey Mouse,” Smart said in comparing Saban and Fisher’s spat to an actual game.
Saban looks like he has moved on from the situation.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
