As we attempt to run these dual storylines so far into the ground we piss off the citizens of Shanghai, Nick Saban made his first public comments since word broke Friday night of a contract extension that served to both keep the title-winning coach at Alabama for the foreseeable future and end any and all speculation (for now) of a move to Texas.
And, as expected, Saban claimed that a move to Austin was never a consideration for he and his wife, saying he wouldn’t have been interested in the Texas job even if Mack Brown had stepped down from his longtime post.
“The way this sort of got spun, it was a little bit more like, ‘OK, he got a new contract at Alabama, so he’s going to stay at Alabama instead of going to Texas,’” Saban told ESPN.com SEC blogger Chris Low Saturday in his first public comments since the school confirmed his contract extension. “I never considered going to Texas. That wasn’t even a conversation.
“I knew that if Mack stepped down, there would probably be an opportunity, but it wasn’t something I was interested in doing, not at this stage in my career.”
Saban reiterated his commitment to the Tide, telling Low, “I don’t want to go someplace else. I don’t know how many times I can say that.”
Rumors connecting Saban to the Longhorns have been percolating for years, reaching a boil when it was confirmed during the 2013 season that the coach’s agent had been involved in some level of discussion with UT officials earlier in the year. Both Saban and his wife attempted to quell the speculation to no avail as the rumor mill cranked into overdrive as the season wound down.
The fact that UA officials were reportedly “getting nervous about the lack of a response” from Saban on the new contract didn’t help matters.
Saban seemed perturbed (pictured) at the very public speculation, especially as it came at the expense of a man he respects still holding the job he was rumored to be taking.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mack Brown,” Saban said. “Mack Brown is the coach at Texas. He deserves the right based on his body of work to be able to leave the program the way he wants to leave the program. It wasn’t fair to him or to me to be speculating about this job, which I haven’t talked to anybody there about.
“Really, the whole thing from my perspective stunk, but there wasn’t a hell of a lot I could do about it.”