Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban is always in the news. Most of the time it has to do with football. However, this time it was for his recent purchase of a $17.5 million mansion in Florida.
While some are in awe of his breathtaking purchase, others are wondering if this move foreshadows the end of Saban’s illustrious coaching career.
One of those questioning Saban’s future in coaching is ESPN’s well-connected college football analyst Paul Finebaum.
On The Matt Barrie Show, Finebaum expressed his doubts, suggesting that Saban might be on borrowed time: “That, to me, sounds like a retirement home.. That’s what it sounds like to me,” he said.
Saban’s Jupiter Island house stretches from the ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway, @kkallergis reports https://t.co/F7c8e0YJvp
— TRD South Florida (@trdmiami) July 24, 2023
He further speculated that the exorbitant price tag of the mansion might indicate that Saban is considering stepping away from the football world sooner rather than later.
“And maybe 17.5 million is not a lot of money to Nick Saban, but that really is pretty remarkable. I don’t know when he’s going to retire, but Hugh Freeze will be at Auburn after Nick Saban’s at Alabama. I can mark that one down pretty easily,” Finebaum confidently said.
Saban’s new Jupiter mansion places him in the company of celebrities, including golf legend Tiger Woods.
Finebaum pointed to the property on Jupiter Island and Saban’s recent trip to Italy as potential signs that the 71-year-old coach is preparing for a life beyond football.
“It sounds like a guy who may have discovered life after all these years, and maybe the most important thing isn’t winning his eighth national championship,” Finebaum declared, alluding to the possibility that Saban might be starting to shift his focus away from the football.
Saban has coached for an impressive 50 years. He has repeatedly expressed his love for the game. During a conversation with Stephen A. Smith in March, he revealed his self-awareness about the need to avoid overstaying his welcome.
“I’m also very aware that I don’t want to ever ride the program down,” Saban said. He acknowledged that his age and circumstances might affect the program adversely if he were to stay on too long, emphasizing that he doesn’t want to reach that point.
While it’s inevitable that Saban will eventually retire, he has not provided a concrete plan for when he’ll be stepping down.
He’s as competitive as it gets and is said to still love the everyday grind that is needed to thrive at the top level of college football.
Do you agree with Finebaum’s opinion?
How much longer do you think Saban will coach?
One thing’s for sure, whenever he does retire, he’ll have an outrageously gorgeous mansion to live in… Can’t you relate???