Every week, we get a double dose of Nick Saban in his new avatar as a broadcaster. First, we see him appear on Friday’s Pat McAfee Show, where the yin and yang of college football previews Saturday matchups. Then, of course, the regular College GameDay spot. We have seen a totally different Saban when he’s around McAfee. The pair rarely disappoints. The former Bama head coach, on his part, doesn’t hesitate to even use some profanity here and there. In celebration of his 74th birthday, Saban once again dropped some colorful language to mark the occasion.

With October 31 also being Halloween, Pat McAfee and the rest of the crew for his eponymous show dressed up as an array of pop culture characters. The lineup included Harry Potter and the recently departed wrestling legend, Hulk Hogan, among others. Anthony DiGuilio, or “Tone Digz,” dressed up as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ iconic coach, Bill Cowher. McAfee touched on several topics to start the show, recapping Week 9 NFL fixtures and more, before inviting the 7x National champion coach on the show.

Coach Saban commended the crew for the effort they put into their costumes. “You guys look marvelous.” This prompted them to then break out into a ‘Happy Birthday’ chorus. At the end of it, the College GameDay host gave a blunt yet humorous assessment, saying, “I appreciate it. You guys look great, but you sing like sh*t.” McAfee immediately rebutted with, “Whoa, whoa, coach, it’s those ears you got. Those old a** ears.”

Saban then extended his well-wishes to the crew and offered them his best wishes for the festive occasion. Currently in Utah for the coverage of the Utes vs. the Cincinnati Bearcats, the former coach and the rest of the College GameDay crew will be present at Rice-Eccles Stadium for the contest.

By now, the former Crimson Tide coach has picked up a habit of using expletives, especially on air. As some may recall, Saban once nearly ended up in hot water because of it.

Fans once wanted Nick Saban fined for swearing on College GameDay

Nick Saban has appeared on The Pat McAfee Show since 2023 as a weekly guest. Following the end of his tenure with Alabama, he joined the panel at ESPN’s College GameDay in 2024. While he is one of the foremost authorities in college football, Saban still managed to draw the ire of fans. This was mostly due to his unfiltered use of profanity on air.

Earlier this year, Saban was regularly letting words fly during broadcasts. As a result, a number of delicate fans took to filing FCC complaints against him. According to reports, an agitated fan wanted the renowned coach or ESPN to pay a seven-figure fine. That said, no fines were levied by the FCC since the rules for cable channels are different from on-air broadcasts.

Some of Saban’s most colorful language was when he spoke about insufficient fines for the postgame fights during rivalry weeks. “First of all, I think we need guidelines, but I think to fine these schools $100,000 is like worrying about mouse manure when you’re up to your ears in elephant s***,” Saban had said. Similarly, during a discussion about Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), the former coach said, “If you don’t pay the right guys, you’ll be (expletive) out of luck.”

By and large, though, Coach Saban has never veered too far off into the extreme. His use of profanity is limited to what an ordinary person would expect to hear in an adult conversation. However, some viewers feel that since his segments are aired at a time when children are home, it could be a cause for concern. For now, Nick Saban will continue as he does, knowing full well that it’ll keep a lot more than a few fans from speaking his mind.