Nick Saban, the wise old teacher of CFB, has always been clear in showing both tough love and appreciation to his junior coaches. And now, as the legend himself prepares for his small-screen debut this Saturday, he’s making headlines again.

Saban is set to join the panel for this weekend’s ESPN College GameDay show, and ahead of it, he had a chat with co-host Pat McAfee from a pub in Dublin.

During the August 23 Pat McAfee Show, the former punter discussed the big moves like Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC and Oregon and Washington heading to the Big Ten. McAfee even predicted that the Oregon Ducks might take the Big Ten title. And Saban couldn’t hide his pride for Oregon’s HC, Dan Lanning. “Dan Lanning is a really good coach…he was a GA for us,” Saban shared. When McAfee asked more about the 38-year-old coach, Saban dropped a bombshell: “I actually wanted to hire him.”

Lanning was a part of the 2015 title-winning Alabama team. Back then, it was a golden era for Bama, with several big names like Kirby Smart, Billy Napier, and Lane Kiffin on the staffer list. Among the lot, Lanning managed to carve out a special place in Saban’s heart.

Reflecting on those days, Saban said, “My theory of having all these young guys on the staff and developing them is to get them a job at Memphis State and then be able to rehire.” Though they shared a laugh, the reality was that Saban hadn’t stepped away from his mentor role.

He’s even offered some tough love to the Oregon HC, questioning his intentions when things didn’t go smoothly last year.

Nick Saban doubts Lanning’s fire

Dan Lanning is in his second year as head coach for the Oregon Ducks, and he’s already set high expectations after leading the team to a solid 12-2 season last year. One particular game grabbed nationwide attention — their dominant 42-6 win over the Colorado Buffaloes. But it wasn’t just the victory that made headlines; it was Lanning’s pre-game jab at Coach Prime. Before kickoff, Lanning told his players, “They’re [Colorado] fighting for clicks. We’re fighting for wins.”

The comment quickly went viral, but not for the right reasons. Nick Saban also weighed in, offering some critique. “I understand what Dan was trying to say… but it probably wasn’t good for everybody else to hear,” Saban noted. He added, “I think you can use the media to send a message to your team. I don’t think you need to do that right before the game,” with a chuckle. It seems Saban isn’t afraid to give tough love, even to his favorite former staffer.

With Lanning emerging as a strong contender for the national championship this year, it’ll be interesting to see if Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama or Lanning’s Ducks shine brighter this season.