Former College Football Coach Nick Saban Rumored to Dive Into Politics After Years of Avoiding It

When it comes to issues in sports and issues in politics, people tend to conflate the two and spark some heated debate because of it. Some of the largest and most popular sporting events in the United States have found themselves at the center of discussions on race, gender, and historical representation all while critics argue that having those discussions is "too political." It's enough to turn any conversation on the controversies in sports completely toxic.

By now, many athletes and sports professionals have decided they want to either make their voices heard amidst ongoing struggles in sports or steer clear of the conversation entirely. To that end, former football coach Nick Saban finds himself in a very peculiar place.

Revered as one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, Nick is now rumored to be getting involved in politics after years of avoiding it. Here's what we know about his potential career change.

From 2007 to 2023, Nick Saban has worked as the head football coach for the University of Alabama. He previously made a name for himself as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins as well as other university teams. He would go on to achieve several prestigious milestones throughout his coaching career and eventually landed himself an induction into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

After an illustrious career in football, Nick is finally stepping down from his post. On Jan. 10, 2024, he announced that he would officially be retiring from his position.

In a statement reported by Rolltide, Nick said, "The University of Alabama has been a very special place to [my wife] Terry and me. We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community."

Though he may be retiring from football, rumors about his subsequent turn to politics have been spreading.

Shortly after announcing his retirement, netizens on Twitter expressed their interest in having him run for US Senate for the state of Alabama. Interestingly enough, the official Alabama Democrats Twitter retweeted some of these statements and showed full support for his potential candidacy. As of this writing, he has not formally addressed these rumors.

His overall stance on politics has sent some mixed messages. Nick has previously went on record claiming that he's actively avoided expressing his political stances.

In 2020, he stated as reported by ABC News, "I've never endorsed a candidate nor will I ever endorse a candidate or get involved in politics in any way, shape, or form. I don't think that's my place."

However, he did publicly endorse Democratic West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin's re-election campaign. He has also been an outspoken proponent of the Freedom to Vote Act which would allow eligible voters in the United States to have equal access to voting.

Despite publicly stating that he would never get into politics, his interest in the subject is no closely guarded secret.