One of college football’s greatest coaches is headed to television to become an analyst.
Nick Saban will join ESPN to work primarily as an analyst on “College GameDay,” the network announced Wednesday.
The plan is for Saban, 72, to also appear on ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft and cover SEC Media Day on various platforms, including the SEC Network.
ESPN said it will announce the legendary football coach’s first TV assignment in the near future.
The news comes less than a month after Saban retired as the head coach of Alabama.
“ESPN and College GameDay have played such an important role in the growth of college football, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to join their team,” Saban said in a statement. “I’ll do my best to offer additional insights and perspectives to contribute to College GameDay, the ultimate Saturday tradition for college football fans.”
While Saban’s retirement from coaching at Alabama came as a bit of a stunner, Wednesday’s news had been a little less shocking, as many had wondered what Saban would do following his retirement.
Saban notified his players that he’d be stepping down on Jan. 10, and the news quickly spread before he made an official announcement later that day.
In the days following, Saban explained that he made the decision to step away due to the tiring grind of the college football season and said the mental grind “gets a little tougher” as he got older.
He retired after 28 years coaching in college football, spending the last 17 as the head coach for the Crimson Tide and winning nine SEC titles and six national championships with the program.
“Nick Saban is a singular, iconic presence in college football,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “He is also an extremely gifted communicator, who will immediately add even more credibility, authority and entertainment value to ESPN, including our esteemed College GameDay show.”
Saban now joins a “College GameDay” crew that includes host Rece Davis and analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee.
The Saturday morning show is one of ESPN’s top programs and is coming off its second-most-watched season since 2011, averaging 2 million viewers.
Saban will now likely add even more intrigue to the successful program.
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