Nick Saban Just Admitted What Nobody Wants to Say About Coaching at Alabama

Nick Saban retired from coaching after the 2023 season with six national championships at Alabama and another at LSU. So when he talks about what it’s like to take over that program, people tend to listen.

And on Thursday, he didn’t sugarcoat it.

“Do I think it’s an easy job? Hell no,” Saban said on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show. He was talking about Kalen DeBoer, the man who stepped into the head coaching role after Saban walked away.

DeBoer is about to start his third season in Tuscaloosa. He got the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff last year, which is more than most coaches can say. But that hasn’t stopped the critics. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith even called for Alabama to fire him.

The weight of the Alabama standard

DeBoer hasn’t won a national title yet. That’s the number that matters most at Alabama. Fans got used to Saban making it look routine. The reality is it’s never routine.

Saban understands that better than anyone. He built the machine. He also knows how hard it is to keep it running.

“I know that coaching staff is working really, really hard,” Saban said in another ESPN interview. “He knew the challenges of taking over a very successful program, and the expectations that come with it. I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for him, putting himself in that position.”

That respect goes both directions. DeBoer has taken two different programs to the CFP — Washington in 2023 and now Alabama. This offseason, his name came up in speculation about the Michigan job. DeBoer shut that down fast. Said he didn’t want to leave.

What Saban sees in this year’s team

Alabama opens the 2026 season on September 5 against East Carolina. Saban thinks they’ve got a real shot at stopping people on defense.

“I do think they have a very good defensive team, so maybe that can carry them early on while they fix the offensive issues,” he said.

That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of the offense. But it’s honest. And Saban has never been one to pretend otherwise.

DeBoer is still searching for his first national championship as a head coach. For now, he’s got a defense that might buy him time. And he’s got the backing of the guy who set the bar impossibly high.