The NFL offseason hasn’t even started yet and already a number of teams have made moves in order to secure their next head coach. The one piece of the puzzle that a lot of people are waiting to fall in place is what Alabama head coach Nick Saban will do next, as everybody wants to know whether or not he is interested in making the move to the NFL. The Alabama job turned out to be a lot better for Saban than his gig with the Miami Dolphins but after all of his accomplishments with the Crimson Tide including securing his fifth national championship this season it makes sense that he would entertain the idea of returning to the NFL. Here is a look at the four biggest reasons why Saban will leave for the NFL.
Nothing Left To Prove At Alabama
After securing his fifth national title in 11 seasons as a college coach, there really isn’t anything left for Saban to prove at the college level. Alabama is the class of the college football world right now and the reality is there is nowhere to go but down from here. Saban has worked hard to build up the most complete program perhaps in the history of college football but with nothing left to prove he has to seriously consider whether or not to stay put or take another shot at the NFL.
The Future In The SEC
Saban has been able to recruit some incredible talent at Alabama and continually reload at the end of every season but it isn’t about to get any easier for him following another national championship. The rest of the SEC continues to chase him and making the college football playoff requires being almost perfect every year within the Tide’s conference. Auburn won’t be bad for long, Texas A&M is on the rise, Florida is looking good, Tennessee is on the cusp…and that doesn’t even include LSU and Arkansas. The schedule for next season presents some daunting challenges and after finishing this year on top, it will be extremely tough for Alabama to repeat as national champions next season.
His NFL Legacy
There is no doubt that Saban deserves to be considered among the best college football coaches of all-time. While he is already being compared to the legendary Bear Bryant, the reality is that the major stain on his roster remains his NFL coaching record. Saban went 15-17 in his two years as the head coach of the Dolphins before returning to the college ranks but it was more than that. Saban had a disastrous tenure with questionable personnel decisions that made him look like a subpar coach. He also left very quickly from Miami as many felt that he quit the Dolphins; not left at a reasonable period. It wouldn’t shock anybody if he wanted another opportunity to prove that he can succeed in the NFL. We saw Pete Carroll have the same type of situation where he made his first jump to the NFL and didn’t find much success but later returned to college and then returned to the NFL to find success a second time. Saban could be wondering if that’s the same path he should take.
The Time Is Right
Leading Alabama to a national championship win over Clemson is definitely part of the equation for those that feel the time is right for Saban to make the move to the NFL but it’s also worth considering the job opportunities that are out there right now. Saban won’t return to Miami but he would definitely have to consider offers from the San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans and in particularly the New York Giants. The Giants have a franchise quarterback in place, some impressive weapons on the offensive side of the football and the allure of being one of the biggest markets in all of football. Saban has accomplished a lot at the college football level and with some intriguing job option open at the NFL level the time is right for him to make his move.
