It wasn't long before Nick Saban was officially retired.
The former Alabama coach will join ESPN as a college football commentator in 2024, the network announced on Wednesday. Saban will "primarily" serve as an analyst for ESPN's "College GameDay" pregame show, according to the network.
New cast member Saban will join Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, and Pat McAfee, among others, per the press announcement.
Instead of being at Alabama finishing a recruiting class on National Signing Day, Saban was enjoying his retirement and playing in the PGA Tour WM Open pro-am in Phoenix on Wednesday, when the announcement was made.
In January, Saban shocked college football fans everywhere by announcing his resignation as coach of Alabama.
He is 72 years old. After falling to Texas in Week 2, Alabama bounced back to win the SEC and make it to the College Football Playoff, where they were defeated by Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
Saban coached the Crimson Tide for 17 years, during which time they won 6 national championships. Saban surpassed previous Alabama coach Bear Bryant for the most national titles with Alabama's 2020 perfect season and championship, which was his seventh as head coach.
Not much has surprised Saban about his foray into television. During the years when Alabama wasn't a part of ESPN's playoff coverage, he had been doing a lot of guest work for the network. After Saban retired from coaching, it seems to reason that he would transition into a television job, given his track record as an astute observer on set.
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