Nick Saban was caught off guard when he learned of his selection to the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame. The former Alabama football head coach was working as an analyst for ESPN’s College Gameday on Friday evening, ahead of the Cotton Bowl semifinal, when Rece Davis informed him of the honor. Saban, who won six national championships at Alabama, hadn’t been aware of the announcement. “When did that happen?” he asked, surprised by the news, which came exactly a year after his retirement. His ESPN colleagues had known about the recognition in advance, and Pat McAfee handed him a football to commemorate the achievement.
Saban, as is typical for him, humbly downplayed the recognition. “Thank you so much,” he said. “But anytime something like this happens, it’s because you had a lot of great people in your organization. A lot of great players, a lot of great coaches, a lot of support staff, and they made a great team. And I was happy to drive the bus, but we had some great people on it, so thank you so much.”
The National Football Foundation will announce the remainder of the 2025 Hall of Fame class on January 15, and Saban and his fellow inductees will be honored on December 9.
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