Nick Saban is a member of Alabama’s elite. At first, he said he quit his coaching job because he was just slowing down a little and found it more difficult to keep up with the job than he used to. His age probably makes that true, although he later acknowledged that it wasn’t the sole cause. In a March congressional roundtable, he criticized the state of college football and said that it influenced his choice. And his choice was made at the last minute after Tide’s season concluded in January. In addition, Saban suggested that players are behaving differently in the NIL era. It indicates because of the gap between his age and the way collegiate football was evolving, he left Alabama’s coaching. But he is still on the payroll! 

Following his retirement, Alabama declared that Nick Saban would continue to work for the school’s athletic department. According to athletic director Greg Byrne, Saban is currently serving as an advisor for the Alabama Crimson Tide from an office inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Saban began this role on March 1. In describing his advisory role with Alabama, Saban said, “I’m anxious to see that we can do whatever we can to continue to support Alabama athletics and the athletic program and the football program and hope that the players and the coaches that are there continue to have a great amount of success.” It appears that Saban wishes to maintain the Alabama roots he has established there.

However, you may think, the legendary former coach didn’t need to do this function because he had taken on a more prominent role as a media figure by joining ESPN as an analyst for College GameDay, the network’s premier college football show. But Saban wants to help the community in every way that he can. And he mentioned, “That’s our home. That’s our family. It’s our community. I’m available if they need me in any way, shape, or form to help them.” It shows how committed and passionate the former coach is for Alabama.

Safe to say, despite his inability to win a national title in January, Saban is still receiving a respectable salary for his new role. Let’s figure it out in detail. 

In new Alabama era: Nick Saban’s salary 

It appears a fairly high one. Records that Bama247 was able to procure show that Bama is paying Saban $500,000 to be precise to perform his as-yet-unspecified duties. Now, what makes $500,000 a larger pay for Saban, then? That amount has increased significantly since 2023, when Saban’s base compensation was $300,000. On top of this, Saban’s deal with Alabama was mostly dependent on talent fees, incentives, and bonuses. When combined, they increased Saban’s 2023 actual salary to an incredible $11.1 million.

That being said, Saban is clearly earning far more than $500,000 in 2024. Because his ESPN compensation is still unknown. Although considering the name recognition he brings to the “College GameDay” panel, it probably eclipses that amount. So, it seems retirement is actually a pretty great gig. Jokes apart. However, at this stage of the 2024 season, we must focus on Alabama’s improvement in accordance with Saban’s advice, regardless of the financial aspect.