Legendary coach Nick Saban could make a surprising return to the sidelines in 2025, potentially taking up a role with the West Virginia Mountaineers.
According to Peter Bartell of Saturday Blitz, while Saban is unlikely to replace current head coach Neal Brown, there’s a possibility he might join the Mountaineers as an assistant coach.
Saban, who is currently serving as a special advisor at the University of Alabama, remains active in the football world, with an office at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
He’s also front and center every Saturday morning as an analyst on ESPN’s College GameDay.
However, Bartell speculates that after a year away from full-time coaching, Saban could be eager to take on a more hands-on role.
“If indeed Saban wants to become even more involved, it could be in an on-field coaching role,” Bartell wrote. “With the coaching carousel ever-changing each year with assistants and head coaches, opportunities are always available at all levels in college football. And one program specifically has a strong chance of having some of those openings in 2025.
“Do not be surprised if Saban ends up coaching in some capacity for the West Virginia Mountaineers in 2025. While it may not be as head coach, an on-field assistant where he could have direct impact on the team may be something not totally off the table for him.”
Saban, a Fairmount, West Virginia native, has deep ties to the state and the Mountaineers football program.
During a recent appearance on GameDay ahead of the West Virginia-Pitt game, he recalled his strong emotional connection to the Backyard Brawl rivalry.
“This is the biggest event of the year if you’re from West Virginia. I grew up chanting ‘Beat the Hell out of Pitt’ and I’m not changing that today,” Saban said at the time.
“This is a game that it was everything emotionally to everyone in the state. I mean, it was the pride of the Mountaineers and when you played Pitt you needed to win that game. Everybody was up here if you did and everybody was down here if you didn’t.”
While a return to West Virginia could be appealing on a personal level, such a move would come as an absolute shock to the college football world.
We know Saban must miss coaching (minus all of the NIL and transfer portal nonsense). Perhaps him taking up a role in Morgantown wouldn’t be the craziest thing in the world.
Having said that, the odds of that actually happening would have to be considered very small.
What are your thoughts on Bartell’s report? … Do you think there’s ANY chance of it happening???
