Rece Davis Admits What It’s Really Like Working with Nick Saban on ‘College GameDay’

ESPN’s “College GameDay” is one of the most popular shows on the network, and with a new 2024 crew that includes former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, it’s easy to see why.

Saban has grown to be one of the more popular sports media personalities in his retirement, and he’s brought a fresh perspective to the show that only comes with 28 years of coaching experience and seven national championship wins.

Saban’s popularity has been so noticeable that “College GameDay” is off to the best start viewership-wise in the show’s history through the first four weeks , averaging 2.2 million viewers with an average of 2.9 million tuning in for the show’s final hour.

During an appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show” on Wednesday, “College GameDay” host Rece Davis got candid about what it’s really been like to work with who many consider to be the greatest college football coach of all time.

“He's all in,” Davis noted . “Constantly learning, always wanting to be great and be perfect. And not one time has he come across in such a way that he's like, ‘Hey, look at my seven championship rings and everybody listen to me.’ He would certainly have the résumé to do so and the credentials to do so if he wanted to, but he hasn’t approached it that way.”

Davis even acknowledged that everyone on set has enjoyed working with Saban, who has already build a strong rapport with fellow co-hosts Pat McAfee, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Lee Corso.

The banter between McAfee and Saban often gets some of the most well-received feedback from fans on social media.

It’s believed that Saban was brought on to be Corso’s permanent replacement one he retires, which many are speculating could be after this season.

Related: Kirk Herbstreit’s Classy Support for Lee Corso on ‘College GameDay’ Turns Heads