Six national titles, a sea of Saturdays where he reigned supreme, and now Nick Saban’s traded the sideline for the studio. Remember this is the same coach whose “camera instincts” often made sideline reporters nervous, as CBS reporter Jenny Dell can attest. But now? He’s thriving on the very stage he once saw as a distraction, proving even the greats can change and redefine their place in the sport.

Look, Nick Saban’s press conferences have always been entertaining, thanks to his blend of frankness and wit. He’s fond of telling reporters, “I don’t have a crystal ball,” a running gag considering the BCS championship trophy was a crystal football. Once, he even picked up the Coke bottle on the podium and joked, “I told you everything I know, so you can ask the bottle [holding it up], but don’t ask me.” While some thought he had issues with certain reporters, Saban simply expected insightful questions.

Yet, Nick Saban’s interview answers, even when dodging, are always fascinating to watch. That’s exactly why The Solid Verbal College Football Podcast hosts Ty Hildenbrandt & Dan Rubenstein hit Jenny Dell with a straight question: Does Saban have the best camera instincts? And without missing a beat, she said, “Oh my god, he’s amazing. I love that man. We have such a bond.”

Well, all three of them agreed to one thing instantly: “He always knew where it was always. The camera is weird, like, yeah. He knows. He knows he knows. Yeah. He’s a genius.” But despite his reputation, Saban’s relationship with the Alabama media was mostly positive. He initially tried setting boundaries, leading to some tense exchanges. Beat reporters soon joked about asking “compare” or “hypothetical” questions, knowing they could provoke him. However, Saban provided valuable information when he chose to.

One of Saban’s most memorable moments was after Alabama’s 27-19 victory over Texas A&M in 2017, when he famously warned about “rat poison”: “I’m trying to get our players to listen to me instead of listening to you guys and all that stuff you write about how good we are. It’s like poison. It’s like taking poison, rat poison.” The room erupted in laughter, and even Saban smiled. That 2017 Crimson Tide team ultimately took home the national championship.

Nick Saban once got a big help from the media back in 2022. It was before Alabama’s away game against Texas. A reporter mentioned that the “Horns Down” hand gesture, used to mock Texas, would be a taunting penalty under Big 12 rules. Initially confused, Saban enquired further. After the explanation, he thanked the reporter, saying, “I have not addressed it with the team, but I appreciate you letting me know that.” The exchange showed that, rather than clashing, Saban actually benefited from the media’s information.

Jenny Dell clarifies the Bryce Young situation

Back in 2022, during Alabama’s 49-26 win over Arkansas, Nick Saban and Jenny Dell got into a weird situation during the interview. As QB Bryce Young injured his shoulder in the first half, and after the game, Dell asked Saban to comment on the team’s resilience after he went down. Instead of answering, Saban grew testy and cut her off. “You know, what I’d like to talk about is our team,” he said. “Our team just won a game on the road. It wasn’t pretty all the time, but they made plays when they had to make ’em. We love Bryce. Bryce has got a sprained shoulder. You know, hopefully, we’ll get some diagnosis on him and see how he goes. But what about the game? What about the team? What about the players that played the game?” This shows how Saban was always chasing the win and did not concern himself with the media drama behind it.

Following the tense exchange, things improved significantly. Jenny Dell cleared up the confusion, emphasizing that her comments were about the game and the team’s ability to bounce back, not specifically about Bryce Young. She clarified that she’d used his name to provide context, but her question was really about Alabama’s depth and adaptability.

Even when Nick Saban could understand the question and fired back at her, Jenny Dell didn’t lose her calm. Recalling that moment, she said, “There’s millions of people watching you. So I’m like, “Yeah, let’s talk about the team.” Let’s go. So, you know, there are situations like that that you just kind of have to take a step back and be like, “Don’t show your emotions on your face.” Just roll with it.” Dell’s explanation made the whole situation make sense, highlighting how easily misunderstandings can arise in high-pressure situations, with a massive audience and every word being magnified. This story also highlights how one needs to be quick on their feet when they are dealing with Nick Saban.