Nick Saban details how the Dolphins gifted Drew Brees to the Saints in 2006

Nick Saban's time as Miami Dolphins head coach was more memorable for how it ended than anything that occurred on the field. The team went 9-7 in Saban's first season, then disappointed by going 6-10 the next year. After his second season, Saban repeatedly told everyone he is not going to be the coach at Alabama, and then... well, yeah. He became the coach at Alabama.

Things might have gone differently for Saban in Miami if he could have signed Drew Brees like he wanted to. On The Pivot Podcast, Saban told Ryan Clark and Channing Crowder that he wanted to sign Brees before the 2006 season, when Brees was a free agent. But Brees failed his physical, and the deal didn't go through in Miami. Instead, Brees signed with New Orleans where he threw for over 68,000 yards. Tough one.

Saban did Brees — and the Saints — a favor by not telling anyone about Brees' failed physical with Miami. If he did, it would have been tougher for Brees to sign anywhere.

Instead of Brees, the Dolphins trotted out an injured Daunte Culpepper, then tried Joey Harrington, who didn't work out so well, either. Drew Brees led the league in passing in 2006. Would Saban have stayed the next year instead of going to Alabama if he had Brees at QB? Talk about a parallel universe. Think of how different the sports world would look if Brees passed a physical with the Dolphins in 2006.

Saban will not let us forget about Miami not signing Drew Brees

Nick... we get it... you guys should have had Drew Brees! It's okay, man. You don't have to live with this regret anymore. We all have some regret for things that happened years ago. Things worked out pretty well in Alabama. Really, really well, actually.

I think Drew Brees was Nick Saban's white whale. He can win infinite national championships, but he'll never get past having to watch Joey Harrington instead of Drew Brees in 2006. What would have been... or something like that.