Alabama football: Kick Six almost broke Nick Saban into leaving Crimson Tide for TV
By John Buhler
The Kick Six nearly broke Nick Saban, almost causing him to leave the Alabama football program behind for a lucrative TV career with ESPN back in 2014.
There was a time where Nick Saban seriously contemplated leaving the Alabama football empire he built up. That time was in the offseason following Kick Six.
According to John Talty’s new book ‘The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban’, the AL.com senior sports editor recounts how Saban nearly left Alabama for a lucrative TV career with ESPN in 2014.
Ryan Glasspiegel of The New York Post wrote about the possible former career change for Saban on Monday evening. Saban had reached out to sports media agent Nick Khan, formerly of CAA, about the opportunity to join ESPN, and ESPN’s College GameDay, in particular. Prior to being the co-CEO of WWE, Khan represented the likes of Skip Bayless, Colin Cowherd and Kirk Herbstreit…
Saban, whose sports agent Jimmy Sexton also works for CAA, took part in a meeting with former ESPN executive John Wildhack about possibly coming aboard. Wildhack is now the Syracuse athletic director. Saban was very interested in potentially joining ESPN, asking questions about the company’s culture and what it was like to be part of their team. He decided to remain at Alabama.
Since getting Kick Six-ed, Alabama has won three national titles. Auburn has not made the playoff.
Kick Six nearly broke Nick Saban into leaving Alabama football for ESPN career
This was the biggest moment in the history of college football’s most heated in-state rivalry. Alabama usually has the upper hand on Auburn, but the Tigers beat the Crimson Tide just often enough to keep the Iron Bowl a must-watch TV event every Thanksgiving Weekend. Kick Six also serves as the turning point into the second half of Saban’s dynastic run at the helm of Alabama.
Prior to Auburn’s magical run to the final BCS National Championship Game in 2013, Alabama had been predominantly a run-first, defensive-minded team under Saban. For those who forgot what that was like, look at what his greatest protege Kirby Smart is doing in Athens these days. After Kick Six, Saban looked in the mirror and decided his teams had to move the sticks aerially more.
Since the 2014 season, Alabama has had a more vertical passing offense. Former coordinators Lane Kiffin, Brian Daboll, Mike Locksley and Steve Sarkisian have all gone on to bigger jobs. Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones all quarterback NFL teams, with Bryce Young sure to join them in a year or so. All the while, Alabama has become Wide Receiver U since getting Kick Six-ed.
What this tale of Saban contemplating leaving coaching for TV shows us is the power of the proverbial fork in the road. As appealing as going into TV would have been for Saban, he decided it was best to delay that venture and quintuple down on becoming the greatest head coach the college football world has ever seen. Now in his 70s, Saban can retire from coaching for TV easily.
College football would look vastly different today if Saban decided to leave Alabama after 2013.
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