Paul Finebaum Names 1 Thing That Could ‘Undo’ Nick Saban
Once upon a time, Paul Finebaum wondered if Nick Saban’s tenure at Alabama could be coming to a close. Now, that’s no longer the case.
During an appearance on Get Up! this morning with Mike Greenberg and ESPN college football reporter Heather Dinich, Finebaum said Saban is “not going anywhere” after winning his sixth national title with the Crimson Tide.
“He’s got a better staff today, he’s got better players than he did two or three years ago when he was still playing for national championships but maybe not losing one,” Finebaum explained, via 247Sports.
However, the longtime ESPN radio host did caution that he thinks one potential pitfall could derail Saban at Alabama: the ongoing push for NIL legislation in college athletics.
“Heather, with all due respect, you know how much I love you — it’s not going to be Jimbo Fisher. I promise you,” Finebaum said, referring to the Texas A&M head coach who promised to beat Alabama recently. “It is going to be name image and likeness. When this goes through in another couple of months, I think it will probably send Nick Saban and every other coach up the wall, and it really depends on how he navigates that issue in terms of how many more national championships he wins.”
For what it’s worth, Saban addressed the topic of NIL in a recent session with media.
“I’m not sure anybody knows for sure how it will impact us or affect us because we don’t know for sure what the parameters are and what the rules are,” Saban said. “Look, I’m all for the players. My biggest concern is how do we manage this, how do we police this and how do we make sure that it’s fair for everybody? The NCAA has always tried to keep a level playing field for everyone, so hopefully this is something that will be fair for everyone and everyone will have an opportunity to create some value for themselves and their brand but at the same time it won’t create advantages for anyone.”
In 14 seasons at Alabama, Saban has won nearly 90% of his games and made eight national title game appearances, winning six.
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