Nick Saban stayed for 17 years at Alabama, and we all know about those 6 national titles and 9 SEC championships. The legacy, without a doubt, is legendary for the former head coach. However, during his coaching tenure, Nick Saban also amassed significant wealth, remaining the highest-paid head coach for the better part of the last decade. For instance, when Saban retired in 2023, he was earning $11.4 million annually and was the highest-paid head coach in college football. Now retired, Saban is collaborating with his wife, Miss Terry, and putting his earnings to good use as he made a major announcement for his city of Tuscaloosa.

Saban sat on the Pat McAfee show, as McAfee remembered the impact that Saban left not just on Tuscaloosa but on the state of Alabama, too. “This entire city revolves around football. Obviously, Bear Bryant had a great history, but what you were able to build here is very special. You still live here, do you take it in?” asked McAfee. Saban instead credited the surrounding people who helped him reach what Alabama achieved under him and announced special plans for the city of Tuscaloosa.

“Well, you know, we had a lot of people contribute to it through the year, so you know, we were. I feel special that we were able to have championship teams and teams that people could be proud of and that we’re excited about, and that impacted the university and the state in a very positive way,” said Saban, and a children’s initiative has been announced that Saban and his wife are undertaking together. “Miss Terry and I, we’re just kind of, you know, your legacy is what you leave behind. Hopefully, we leave something behind, but now we’re doing something completely different, building children’s learning centers. We’re focused on that, so where’s that we just keep on keeping on?” announced Saban. The initiative is notably quite extravagant.

The children’s center Saban talked about reportedly, is a part of a $150 million interactive hub and learning center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It is a part of the Nick Saban Foundation and focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) as the core subjects, while a focus on arts, theater, and sports will also be given for the holistic growth of the children. It is to be noted, however, that not all financial responsibilities of the project lie with Nick Saban and his wife.

The ‘Saban Center’ is a part of a public and private funding initiative, with $42 million coming from Elevate Tuscaloosa, with a 1% sales tax to boost education, transport, and fund other initiatives. Apart from that, $15 million was given by private donors, and $25 million came from the State of Alabama. The Donor initiatives were largely led by Nick Saban’s wife, Miss Terry’s ‘Set Foundation’, which had raised $15 million for the project.

The Center is expected to serve more than 30,000 kids in Tuscaloosa, with around 170,000 coming within a one-hour radius of the city. Surely, the Center will seal Saban’s legacy in the city’s history beyond the field. As for Saban’s coaching exploits, it seems the 73-year-old isn’t done yet with coaching, since rumors are abound after Sam Pittman’s firing about Saban’s potential hiring.

Nick Saban returning to coaching in the SEC?

While it may seem at 73, a person may enjoy retirement, we have seen coaches doing the opposite. Bill Belichick is the most recent name, who took UNC’s reins from another 73-year-old head coach, Mack Brown. So, for Nick Saban, football has always been his first love, as he has reiterated the same on various occasions. Now with a head coaching position finally opening in the SEC at Arkansas, the program may look to persuade Saban to turn around the program. Moreover, various people close to him also hinted at Saban’s coaching return.

“A very much in-the-know person that I have a lot of respect for and have spent a lot of time around and just really, really admire, they seem to think Nick Saban is not done coaching…He’s pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again,” said former Alabama QB Greg McElroy. Apart from McElroy, a former Saban assistant, Lane Kiffin also echoed the same. “He’s one of the greatest of all time, and like I saw an interview with him the other day, he’s still sharp, smart, like he belongs in coaching.” So, can we see Arkansas finally pushing for Saban?

Of course, all of it is just rumors for now, and as per another rumor, Jerry Jones, Cowboys owner and Arkansas alum, is involved in “publicly pushing” Rhett Lashlee to be the team’s head coach. Moreover, many rumors also circulate that Saban and Jones had meetings, as per ProFootballNetwork. For now, we can wait and watch, and it will be interesting to see how the whole thing develops in the upcoming week. For now, Arkansas’ OC, Bobby Petrino, is the interim head coach, and a final decision will most likely come in December.