Swinney Glad Saban Can't 'get some get-back'

With Nick Saban hanging up his whistle, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney can ride off into the sunset with bragging rights against the legendary Alabama head coach.

Swinney went 2-2 all-time in head-to-head meetings against Saban’s Alabama teams, including a 2-1 record in three national title game matchups. Swinney’s Tigers won the most recent matchup, a 44-16 victory in the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship to end the 2018 season.

Of course, Saban retired from coaching this past January after 17 seasons leading the Crimson Tide, and Swinney joked that he’s glad – because if Saban was still coaching, he’d probably avenge that last loss to Swinney.

“Well, it’s good to know that he’s not going to get a rematch from that last one. He’s going to have to live with that one. Because chances are if he did, he’d probably get some get-back,” Swinney said Tuesday as he hosted his annual Media Outing at the Allen Reeves Football Complex, when asked about going into a season without Saban on a sideline anywhere.

“So, I can ride off into the sunset with that. We’ll just have to end it right there. Because we played every year it seemed like for a while there, and we just hadn’t played since January of ‘19. It just hadn’t worked out for them or us. Because again, he’s the best to ever do it, and chances are, you meet up with him, you’re not going to win many of them. So, I’m thankful that we were able to finish it the way we did in that last one.”

Saban, who had been the Crimson Tide head coach since 2007, guided Bama to six national titles and nine SEC championships. He also won a national title at LSU and garnered five SEC Coach of the Year honors. The 72-year-old compiled a record of 292-71-1 as a college head coach.

Saban, who won more national championships than any other major college football coach, spent 28 years as a college head coach at Toledo (1990), Michigan State (1995-99), LSU (2000-04) and Alabama (2007-23). He also coached the Miami Dolphins for two seasons (2005-06).

Now, Saban has turned in his whistle for a microphone and is a member of the media – he joined ESPN as a college football analyst after announcing his retirement from Alabama, and he will be on College GameDay this season.

“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 in February. “I’ll do my best to offer additional insights and perspectives to contribute to College GameDay, the ultimate Saturday tradition for college football fans.”

Swinney believes Saban will “continue to be great for college football” in his new role.

“He’s been great for college football, he’s going to continue to be great for college football,” Swinney said. “He’ll continue to be great for Alabama. He certainly has spent his longest professional tenure there and has created deep roots in Tuscaloosa and he’s served that community. So, it’ll be fun to see him in a different role. He’ll bring I think a lot of expertise and a lot of insight that only he can bring in that setting that he’s a part of. So, should be fun.”

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