Listen: Bill Simmons mockingly blasts Nick Saban for being a 'coward' in latest podcast
Bill Simmons’ podcasts can be truly entertaining, but some shots were fired in his latest one.
While discussing the upcoming national championship game, Simmons had the ultimate hot take on Nick Saban, who is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in college football history.
“He’s a coward, he left the NFL. He’s a coward,” Simmons said on his podcast. “You want to compete against the best. The best coaches aren’t in college, they’re in professional football. He had a chance to go head-to-head against Bill Belichick, the greatest coach of all-time. He didn’t get the quarterback he wanted in Miami, and, like a coward, he went back to college, where he stays and just beats up on all these inferior college coaches. Congratulations. He’s the guy who plays Madden on rookie level winning the Super Bowl. Come to the NFL, let’s see what kind of coach he is. When he plays golf does he play from the pink tees? Come to the NFL, let’s see how good you are. ‘Oh I didn’t get Drew Brees in Miami, I’m going back to college. I’m just gonna cherry pick all the best players in the country because I’m the head coach at Alabama.’”
Those are some strong words about a coach who could possibly win his sixth national championship trophy on Monday, matching Bear Bryant for the most in college football history.
You can hear the entire podcast below. Simmons’ comments on Saban begin around the 54:10 mark.
Simmons later confirmed his comments were meant in jest. Simmons then did his best to further annoy the Alabama fan base by posting this tweet:
War eagle. @MalloryRubin pic.twitter.com/4FUclI3ufh
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) January 7, 2017
‘The Coward’ has 5 NCs. What does that make you Simmons, with that hair perm of yours?
Who is Bill Simmons?
One of the best sports journalists in the business. If you really don’t know then you’re missing out. Oh and he’s right. Saban is a coward.
Simmons is just another of those ex-ESPN guys who got his ass canned that’s now desperately trying to get attention for himself. Let the little troll have his 15 seconds of fame before he goes back to his has-been career.
I’ve never listened to Bill Simmons shows, never wanted to… But he seems to be the complete 180 of Paul Finebaum…
How’s that HBO show going, Bill? Oh wait…
Evidently, Saban is content to go down as arguably the greatest college coach of all time. Nothing wrong with that. He will never be at the level of a Belichick or even Pete Carroll if he stays in college. I think he could do it if he tried again. Oh well.
“He will never be at the level of a Belichick or even Pete Carroll if he stays in college”
1. Pete Carroll? Lol, no. Saban will be remembered long after Carroll is forgotten. Carroll is the coach of a team based in Washington state – hardly the epicenter of the nation’s culture, so let’s not exaggerate his cultural impact. No one outside of the Pacific Northwest even cares that he exists.
Pete Carroll also destroyed USC’s program for years after he left due to all the NCAA violations that permeated his tenure, so he has that baggage, too.
2. The proper translation of your comment is as follows: “my LSU tigers are no match for Saban, so I hope he moves on so we don’t have to compete against him anymore because we certainly can’t beat him.” That explains about 99.9% of the comments demanding that Saban go to the NFL.
Saban won’t be among the best overall football coach’s unless he does it in the pros. He’s definitely top 3 among college coach’s but you can’t put him in Belicheck’s league.
Also Tom Landry, Chuck Knoll, Bill Walsh, & Vince Lombardi among others are higher ranked coach’s cause they did it at the top level where the playing field is close to even.
Saban doesn’t belong in that group the same way the top HS coach’s aren’t in his league. Saban could very well go down as the greatest college coach ever which is a big deal. I’m actually of the opinion that Saban could be a great NFL coach if given his choice of players and personnel control with the right org. Belicheck didn’t win til he got in the rt place either.
Um, are you trying to insinuate Alabama is the nations cultural epicenter? No reservations about football, but you may have just lost your credibility with the culture thing.
Too meny big wurds Cap. But Truth
And Alabama is a bastion of culture- Look up bastion if it cornfuddles you brainiac. Have you even been to Bama. I have. There were a total of eight teeth and 5 arms between the 3 people in the gas station I stopped in. Keep Saban It’s still Alerbammer-not a joke-it was actually spelled that way on a sign we passed. So sad… Caroll coached Super Bowl as well as collegiate national championship teams. Sybian ran out on Miami Prob when he realized he was over his head-not hard to be at 5’2″. That or he concluded a grown rich pro would beat his literal Arse if he threw one of his little tantrums. He will never-ever-never-ever be the coach Belicheck is or Bear Bryant or even Pete Carroll.
Hey Marine – you are correct again. Coach Saban will go down as the greatest College Coach ever. The NFL has as many people watching it now as Opra has watching her on Weight Watchers, so why would het get with that pile… Semper Fi and Roll Tide!!
THE NFL tries to hire him every year and the NFL is far smarter than this clown. He is just mad that Saban turns down so many multi million dollar job offers while he himself gets the crap jobs.
When was the last time an NFL team went after Saban?
Saban said his agent receives calls and he says no. I don’t know If that’s the case or not…. Do you know he hasn’t been approached?
I don’t know. That’s why I asked. But, we do get reports all the time and Saban hasn’t been mentioned much. Actually, he hasn’t been mentioned at all other than someone saying his agent called the Giants last year about their opening.
A lot of truth in that Mr Simmons.
There’s no truth in it. Half of NFL teams are garbage, the sport has peaked, and ratings would be way down if not for Prescott. A lot of people like myself prefer the college game. Simmons is an NFL jock strap sniffer; I could care less about his opinion on hand-egg.
For someone who doesn’t care you sure are wired up. Is it because someone has the unmitigated gall to question Saint Sybian and his motives? I do notice you mentioned sniffing jock straps— Freudian slip maybe.
If 5 national championships makes you a coward, I wanna be a coward when I grow up. Bill Simmons….SMH. A “journalist” calling out Saban. Some people have to get their name out there somehow.
So what is Jim Harbaugh?
FIRED… after 3 NFC championships and a SB appearance, then an off season..
at least he didn’t quit
Amen and I don’t even like Harbaugh
Simmons nobody cares about you or your podcast i dont even no who you are. How many n c do you have I would of left nfl to. Saban doesnt have the say of who they draft or who plays. The manager makes the decisions So shut the f up your and idiot You want to call bear byant coward to. Saban #1 coach Roll Tide
You sure seem to care.
Yea….He (they) care….they all care.
What else do they have? No seriously??
No, he doesn’t. It’s not like he actually went out of his way to listen to Simmon’s low-rated podcast or dropped something important to read this. Someone at this site uploaded a short blog post about this and he took 4 seconds out of his life to comment about it. That’s not “you sure seem to care.”
It is actually. You being delusional or not understanding how this works does not change the fact that he cares. His commenting with all that anger is more than proof of that.
I would of left nfl to. Here we have a bammer perfesser.
Now we know why Saban matters and Simmons does not.
Someones got a crush. Tee-Hee. Prob thinks he’s on the team too.
Comments like that are just a desperate attempt to be relevant out there and to get readers and listeners
This Bill Simmons clown sounds like another one of those loud mouth jerks who uses the Mic to feel important because he has never really accomplished anything. Saban has 5 NCAA Football championships. What has Bill Simmons accomplished? Saban isn’t the only coach to leave the NFL, I believe Jim Harbaugh use to coach the 49ers and left for Michigan. A coward is someone who hides behind a mic or social media to feel good about themselves. (example: Bill Simmons)
I’m not defending simmons and I can’t stand jim harbaugh. but to compare saban and harbaughs nfl experience,, well, harbaugh at least had success and made it to the super bowl before he left to UM… saban was a bust
Yet Harbaugh has never won a NC at college level…..
that is correctamundo
And Saban never broke 5’2″ It all evens out
Bill Simmons will go down as the greatest “podcaster” of all time. LOL!! He is obviously couldn’t cut it in big league media so he has to podcast now. Geez. Maybe HBO will hire him back to bring someone their coffee.
Comment of the day.
Somebody introduce this guy to John Crist…they seem to have much in common (attitude and career arc wise) and I’m sure they’d get along great.
Comment of the day!
There are several NFL coaches who cant win at the college level.
I have no idea who this guy is, but I would guess this is his punk way of getting attention – a**hole
Bill Simmons? Never heard of her. Must not be relevant. Moving on…..
Just looked ate her wiki page. No mention of her ever putting her hand in the dirt and actually playing the sport. As it goes with anyone else who has never played a down of football, their words on anything that is the game of football, don’t amount to a pile of shi+ on a shovel! Good day Mrs. Simmons.
you said you were moving on… just couldn’t resist could you?? I understand… LOL
Nice to hear something other than the usual media butt-kissing in regards to Saban, but I can tell you that there are about 60+ P5 schools that would jump at the chance to throw multi-millions of dollars at such a “coward”.
Don’t know who this guy is and don’t care either. Is he from the south? Down here, it’s SEC football! NFL takes a back seat. My fellow colleagues up in NY/NJ say it’s the NFL that’s most watched and not college football.
By the way, so why didn’t Bear Bryant go to the NFL if he was so successful in college? Just saying….
Nationally, the NFL has a much bigger following than college ball. I prefer the college game, but we are in the minority’s on that.
Simmons is following Cowherd’s lead: Yell and scream about Saban and Alabama in hopes of getting all the Bama haters on your side and then claim that you have a big following of people nationwide.
Now, like Cowherd, he just needs to get on his soapbox about how the SEC is no longer the best football conference — that’ll get the basement boys from all the other conferences on his side.
How is this for a comparison. Saban is to coaching what Tebow is to quarterbacking. Absolutely great in college, but not so much in the pro’s.
Well said
Good grief, people, what’s all the fuss about college versus pros and why Saban left the NFL to return to the college game? There are college football fans; there are professional football fans; and there are fans who like both. Like Saban or not for any number of reasons you may have, but the FACT of the matter is that he currently is second only to the late Paul “Bear” Bryant (note also of Alabama plus Kentucky and Texas A&M) in post-1936 poll era college football national championships. If and when he wins another, he will tie The Bear and likely coach on to see if he can pass The Bear and be at the top in NCs won. He has EARNED this distinction, and nothing you say can change that. Insofar as college coaches who have tried the NFL, Pete Carroll not have much company in those who have enjoyed success. On the other end as FACT are Steve Spurrier, Chip Kelly, and a few others including Nick Saban who have struggled. Nick Saban WILL go down as one of the greatest college football coaches ever, like it or not. His coaching record–not his personality or characteristics–bears that out. As for who has the greatest number of fans, college or pro, it’s not even close when you add all the fans in stands from every division of college football on Fall Saturdays, every alum, every non-alum fan, year in and year out. TV ratings (closer than you might think)? Jersey sales? Maybe the NFL has an edge there, but again there are college fans, pro fans, fans who like both. Good on all of them. Bash Saban, all you want; that’s free speech, but it will not detract from his fantastic coaching record.
Who in h-ll is Bill Simmons ? The NFL is a group of overpaid pro-wrestlers and cheap shot artists. It is up to the players in the NFL to change that, the management certainly won’t.
Very few things are comparable between the NFL and college football. This Simmons dude doesn’t know much about his own profession if he can’t see that. He will be forgotten even before Saban coaches his next game. Some folks are still a little butt hurt over the Miami deal, but business is business as true pro ball owners, players and REAL reporters will attest. Some of these wannabe types love to make a negative out of something that turns out positive. Wonder what he thinks about Petrino? I don’t think Saban even rides a motorcycle.
THIS SIMMONS GUY, IT’S SO OBVIOUS THAT HE IS JEALOUS OF COACH SABEN! HOW MANY NFL TEAMS DOESN’T WANT SABEN TO GO. THE WHOLE SEC IS BENIFITING FROM THE SUCCESS THAT COACH SABEN IS HAVING. ALL SCHOOLS GET MONEY FOR SCHOLARSHIP MONEY WHEN THE CONFERENCE WINS A BIG BOWL GAME. MR. SIMMONS, LET’S PUT THE KIDS OR YOUNG ADULTS AHEAD OF YOUR JEALOUSY. THE SEC IS A DOMINANT CONFERENCE WITH OR WITHOUT SABEN. FOR HE IS ONLY HUMAN. JUST A BIT SMARTER THAN YOU. LOOK AT YOUR JOB!!! IF AN ELEPHANT COULD TALK, HE WOULD BE ABLE TO WRITE HIS OPINION!!! THAT’S ALL YOU GOT. GOD HAS A PATH FOR ALL OF US, SO DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR ANYONE, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT. SO WHEN YOU THIS YOU ARE BETTER THAN GOD, IT’S NOT COACH SABEN WHO NEEDS A LIFE CHANGE SIR. I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR ANYONE, BUT WHEN A MAN OR WOMAN IS MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN I. I SHOULD LOVE THEM. WHEN THEY ARE LESS SUCCESSFUL THAN I, I STILL LOVE THEM. THE BASE OF THE CROSS IS LEVEL. ONLY JESUS SHOULD JUDGE WHAT WE DO OR DON’T DO. GET OFF THE CROSS, WE ALREADY HAVE THE ULTIMATE SAVIOUR. IT’S NOT YOU. GOD BLESS YOU SIR.
This has nothing to do with religion, and a true Saban fan would know how to spell his name.
Holy God dude, A cpl suggestions-Xanax-Hit your CAPS BUTTON, Spell check, Xanax, get a woman or man whatever floats your boat, Xanax,
Besr Bryant is still remembered as an all time great and Saban could be about to tie him. He’s not worried.
Also Belichek is awesome, but whose to say he could win in the cfb? Whose to say that Gruden, Parcells, or a lot of the other NFL coaches could’ve won in CFB? Of course some of them could but not all. They are two different types of games.
Saban controls his team, In the NFL the coach doesn’t have all the control. I think the coach crontrol long everything says a bit more. It proves he’s the one making all the right moves. However winning at anything you do… It takes something for you to be the best.
Reading all these dudes who somehow think Saban will read their posts and move to the pros in order to prove them wrong are pretty entertaining. Anything to get him to leave Bama, right?
No one thinks Saban reads this articles, much less comments. He can stay at Bama as long as he likes. He has mastered college football to the point that he owns it. There is not much of a challenge for him now. He may like it this way at 65, but most competitors are looking for new challenges once they have mastered something. In college football now, its him against the field and he is favored. If I was a Bama fan, I would want him to stay forever.