When Nick Saban announced his rather sudden and fairly shocking retirement earlier this year, there was an expectation that he wouldn’t just completely disappear off to his lake house forever. Given how often he popped up on ESPN over the years as a guest on College GameDay and other programs, Saban was expected to be hotly pursued by the four-letter, especially now that they are the sole rights-holders for SEC football.
Sure enough, on Wednesday of Super Bowl week, ESPN announced Saban was joining the network as an analyst, primarily working on GameDay, but also joining the network’s coverage of the NFL Draft and more.
“ESPN and College GameDay have played such an important role in the growth of college football, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to join their team,” said Saban. “I’ll do my best to offer additional insights and perspectives to contribute to College GameDay, the ultimate Saturday tradition for college football fans.”
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said: “Nick Saban is a singular, iconic presence in college football. He is also an extremely gifted communicator, who will immediately add even more credibility, authority and entertainment value to ESPN, including our esteemed College GameDay show.”
Saban has always been very good on television, and with Lee Corso transitioning into a much smaller role on GameDay, Saban is a natural fit to join the desk and provide his incredible knowledge of the sport and its inner-workings.