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Retirement is treating Nick Saban quite nicely! Not only is he free from the daily grind of coaching a high-pressure college football team, but he’s also making a pretty good paycheck doing it.
Nick Saban Current Role and Earnings
While Saban has stepped back from the head coaching role, he’s not just lounging around at home. He’s still involved with the University of Alabama in an advisory capacity and appears as an analyst on ESPN’s College GameDay every weekend. His calm demeanor provides a nice contrast to Pat McAfee’s energetic style.
In his new advisory role, Saban earns a salary of $500,000 a year, which breaks down to over $41,000 a month. However, his earnings from ESPN are not publicly disclosed, but they’re likely much higher given his status in college football and his impact on the show.
Nick Saban Salary Breakdown
It’s interesting to note that Saban’s new salary is a significant increase compared to his previous base salary of $300,000 in 2023. But during his last contract with Alabama, his total earnings, including bonuses and other incentives, skyrocketed to $11.1 million. So, while $500,000 sounds great, it’s a fraction of what he was making as a head coach.
Nick Saban’s Reasons for Retirement
Saban announced his retirement shortly after the end of Alabama’s season in January. He initially cited feeling a bit slower and finding it harder to keep up with the demands of the job. However, he later revealed that the evolving landscape of college football played a significant role in his decision. During a congressional roundtable in March, he expressed concerns about the changes in college athletics, particularly the focus on financial incentives over the values he cherished in the sport.
Saban mentioned that his wife encouraged him to consider retirement, asking, “Why are we doing this? All they care about is how much you’re going to pay them?” This, combined with his disappointment over how his team handled a playoff loss to Michigan, contributed to his choice to step away from coaching.
At 72 years old, Saban is at an age where many people are winding down, and he’ll be turning 73 on October 31. The demands of consistently maintaining excellence in college football require immense dedication and effort, and Saban simply felt he couldn’t commit the way he used to. While he’s still an active figure in football through his advisory and broadcasting roles, he’s not the only older coach in the game; Mack Brown, also 73, is the only other active power-conference head coach over 70.
Overall, Saban’s retirement may feel sudden to some, but it seems like a decision well-suited to his current life stage and the changes in the sport he’s devoted his career to.