It feels like yesterday when we were talking about Ryan Day and his perspective regarding Nick Saban. Back on July 8th, Day, On The Joel Klatt Show, had said, “I felt that pain because I have gone through those similar things. Saban’s history is unbelievable and to hear somebody that’s been through all these different things in college football.” This brought the fans a very different view of the retirement situation and what led to it. NIL pressure, loss of faith, and the list goes on. But one thing, from the podcast, will still stick out; how much Nick Saban’s departure hurt the people connected to college football.

And today on 16th July, Kirby Smart brings out the same emotion that Deion Sanders and even Ryan Day had shared. In an interview on Get Up by ESPN, Mike asked Smart a quick question. “What does it feel like with him no longer on that sideline now?” Saban and Smart have had an interesting connection. From Saban acting as Smart’s mentor to ultimately becoming his biggest rival. “It’s different. I’ll tell you the most unique part. I think Lane and I were sharing some texts. He reached out to talk to us to prepare for this media day, and I still got nervous on the phone with him. I felt like I was still talking to my boss,” Smart replied. Sometimes, that teacher-student dynamic sticks with you forever, so it’s no surprise that Smart still felt this way about Nick Saban. Especially because of the impact Nick had on him.

Smart further went on to explain the situation. “He’s been a critical part of my career and so many coaches’ careers. I’m just happy he stayed involved in college football and he’s helping carry the torch forward. He’s been an incredible asset for me,” he concluded. It is not a surprise that even after retirement Saban is present in the scene in his own “unique” way, just asking around, taking notes, and guiding people. Maybe this is why Deion Sanders felt the same sadness after he heard the retirement news.

We lost the OG

When the news was broken, Deion’s first reaction was, “Shoot, it was like, ‘Man, we lost the OG.” On The Joel Klatt Show, Coach Prime was seen being emotional about the retirement. And it is quite understandable why Deion held Nick Saban on such a high pedestal. While the 4-8 season for the Buffs is water under the bridge, back on June 24th, Deion left a comment regarding this.

“Coach Saban and some of the other guys, give me so much and advice,” Coach Prime confessed. However, Prime never did follow the advice later on. While thinking back on the situation, Prime even said, “things might have been a lot different.” If he had listened to what Saban had said, maybe 2023 wouldn’t have been that bad for the Buffs. While it is true that Saban will never return to the world of college football again, Fans can still rest well knowing that the OG will still be around and impacting lives.