Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
Don’t tell that to two of the greatest coaches of all time.
Bill Belichick (left) and Nick Saban (right) are both finding success away from the field, as they dive into the world of broadcastingVasha Hunt/USA Today Sports/Reuters
Bill Belichick and Nick Saban handed in their whistles for microphones in the offseason and now, not even a month into the NFL and college football seasons, have found immediate success on TV screens.
The decision to leave the game was out of Belichick’s hands, as the New England Patriots decided to part ways with their legendary coach.
Saban on the other hand, made it his decision to retire and step away from the game and into the TV spotlight.
No stranger to being in front of a camera, the Aflac actor can now be seen chopping it up with ESPN’s Pat McAfee on a weekly basis and is on the desk for the flagship program, College Gameday.
There were questions about how natural of a fit the usual prickly seven-time national champion would be when given a platform to talk about the game he dominated for two decades.
The early returns? So far, so good.
In fact, so far, so great.
Saban is a natural in front of the camera and is able to show a side of his personality that he was never able to do before.
He’s comfortable, funny, charismatic, witty.
Saban is actually likable.
The usual stoic and blunt Saban has been letting his personality shine in new roleGetty Images – Getty
Michael McCarthy, a senior reporter at Front Office Sports, summed up Saban’s presence on the set perfectly in a post on X.
“Pleasantly surprised how good Nick Saban was today. Comfortable, opinionated, even, dare I say it, happy at times. He was the star of the show.”
Who could have seen that coming?
Being the greatest ever in his field, Saban has a certain pedigree that very few have.
When Saban talks, people listen.
Another person thumbed out on X how it was, “The best decision ESPN College Gameday ever made. Hiring Nick Saban.”
However, standing in front of a camera as part of college football’s most iconic show, is a whole lot different than standing in front of a camera for a postgame press conference.
Yet, Saban is nailing it.
And isn’t shying away from who he is, even if that means breaking a few FCC regulations along the way.
“I just wanna say, you guys keep talking about a $20 million roster,” Saban said on the set of ESPN’s College Gameday.
“If you don’t pay the right guys, you’ll be sh** out of luck.”
Belichick and Saban worked together in the early 90’s in Cleveland as head coach and defensive coordinator are now natural media stars
The Godfather of college football stepped away from the game, but is still easy to find every Saturday.
And that’s good news for everybody else.
But wait, there’s more.
Saban isn’t the only one basking in the television limelight of course, as his buddy Belichick is right up there hogging too.
And just like Saban, Belichick is pretty damn good at it.
From the ManningCast on MNF, Inside the NFL on the CW and his weekly appearances on McAfee as well, the Hoodie is more of a presence than ever before.
talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio, join us on Sunday as Week 4 continues with live coverage of Denver Broncos @ New York Jets followed by the New England Patriots at the San Francisco 49ers from 6pm on talkSPORT2
Catch up with all the latest NFL news with talkSPORT’s brand new, dedicated YouTube channel – talkSPORT End Zone.
Each week, in The Run Down, Will Gavin, Brian T. Smith and a host of guests will take you through the NFL talking points, and look ahead to the latest round of action.
Alongside that we will have features, exclusive interviews and much more. Subscribe to the channel now, and watch the latest episode by hitting play on the button below
