With all the talk about Nick Saban possibly stepping out of retirement, it’s only right to roll back to where the whole thing really started. Before the 11 SEC titles, before the 7 national championships, before he became the face of college football—there was the 2000 Peach Bowl. A tough, cold December night in Atlanta that didn’t grab headlines at the time but quietly kicked off something special in Baton Rouge. LSU wasn’t low-key expected to win—honestly, they weren’t even expected to compete. But what happened against a ranked Georgia Tech team wasn’t just a comeback—it was the start of the Saban era. Even the Peach Bowl CEO still tells the story of the day Saban picked up the phone and made the call that changed everything.

Back in 2000, LSU was scraping itself out of a ditch. The Tigers had gone 3–8 the year before, and though Nick Saban had shown signs of righting the ship in Year One, they were still just 7–4 heading into bowl season. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech—ranked No. 13 in the country—was the Peach Bowl’s golden ticket. Everyone wanted the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta. Everyone except Nick Saban.

Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan still remembers it like it was yesterday. The man literally put his CEO title on his line for Nick Saban: “Back in 2000, I get a call from Nick Saban at LSU,” Stokan told Jacob Hester on July 19th during a spot on ‘Off The Bench’. “He says, ‘Gary, we’re 8–4. The best bowl we get to is the Peach Bowl. We’re trying to build a program here.'”

No coach had ever done that before—called to beg for a bowl spot. But Saban wasn’t there to save face. He was building something, and the Peach Bowl was the perfect launchpad. So Stokan flew down, met with the LSU brass—AD, president, chairman—and got every assurance. They’d promote. They’d show up. And they’d sell out. “So I go back to my board,” Stokan said. “I tell them we’re taking LSU. They said, ‘No way. We had LSU in ’96. DiNardo didn’t promote the game. They got beat by Clemson. They didn’t sell tickets. We don’t want LSU back.'”

But Stokan wasn’t backing down. “I told them, ‘If they don’t do what they said, fire me. I’ll put my job on the line.'” That gamble? Paid off in gold. LSU sold 16,421 tickets on the first day. The stadium ended up hosting 73,614 fans, the largest crowd in Peach Bowl history at the time. And what those fans got was more than a football game. It was the first real taste of Saban-ball.

Georgia Tech took a 14–3 lead in the third quarter, and for a moment, it looked like the board had been right. LSU’s offense was sputtering. But enter Rohan Davey—bench QB turned savior. He tossed 3 TDs in the second half, two to Josh Reed, including a back-corner dime that turned the dome upside down. LSU ripped off 25 unanswered points to win 28–14.

Trev Faulk and the LSU defense absolutely suffocated Georgia Tech after halftime. It wasn’t just a win—it was Nick Saban’s origin story. Two years later, LSU cashed in all that bowl-season momentum for a national championship in 2003. The Peach Bowl had become more than a game—it was a recruiting sales pitch that helped lure key future stars.

And Stokan? He never forgot. When he wanted to launch the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in 2007, guess who he called first? “Nick told me, ‘If we win in Alabama and finish second in Georgia, we’re winning national championships.'” Stokan said. Alabama played in the first Kickoff game in 2008, blasted Clemson, made the SI cover, and the dynasty took flight. Six national titles later, it’s safe to say the call was worth it.

Legendary Nick Saban returning to coaching?

It hasn’t even been a year since Nick Saban handed the crimson keys to Kalen DeBoer. But after a shaky 9–4 debut season and a missed Playoff berth, whispers are growing louder—real loud. Is the G.O.A.T. really gone for good? Greg McElroy, Saban’s old QB, sure stirred the pot. On the first day of SEC Media Days, he dropped a spicy nugget: A notable source swears Saban’s coaching days aren’t over. “He’s not done,” McElroy teased. “He’s coming back.”

Boom. Social media went full conspiracy mode. Saban hadn’t shown up at SEC Media Days—first time in forever—and now he’s trending again, not for ESPN takes, but for potentially reclaiming a headset. Then came the twist: Kristen Saban, Nick’s daughter, had to play PR cleanup. After she posted a nostalgic clip of her dad’s Alabama walkout with the caption “damn, I miss this,” fans read between all the wrong lines. Kristen fired back quick. “Apparently some of y’all feel trolled by my last story… he’s not coming back to coaching. Hate to break it to you..You had your time.” she posted.

Not exactly subtle. But fans weren’t buying it. Why? Because of delusion. Saban’s competitive fire doesn’t just flicker out. Even Kirby Smart, his former right-hand man, sounded skeptical.”I don’t think Nick’s coming back.” I think he’s too happy where he is…I think y’all were lacking buzz and they needed some buzz yesterday… I talk to Nick pretty regularly, and I don’t see it. It’s one of those things that if he wanted to, he’d be unbelievable at it.” 

And let’s be real—he does still have it. The man’s only 73, still sharper than half the sideline stalkers out there, and he’s now an Emmy-winner on “College GameDay.” But does broadcasting really scratch the same itch as ruling Saturdays? Saban built dynasties from scratch. Twice. His eye for talent, ruthless attention to detail, and obsession with control turned two SEC programs into machines. And if he ever did come back? Any AD in America would throw blank checks and stadium keys at his feet.

So, is he really done? Looks like it, unfortunately.