Columnist says Indianapolis Colts will make a run at Nick Saban
Full power.
It’s what Nick Saban wanted with the Miami Dolphins but didn’t get.
The Indianapolis Colts would be able to give Alabama’s head coach full power, which includes making personnel decisions, should they move Chuch Pagano and make a run at college football’s leading man, according to WTHR columnist Bob Kravitz.
Appearing on a podcast this week with Adam Schein, Kravitz speculates about the possibility of Colts owner Jim Irsay pulling out all the stops (primarily money) in his expected ‘big-game hunting’ effort to land Saban.
Many have suggested, including Kravitz, that Pagano’s time is running out in Indianapolis. He’s compiled three consecutive 11-5 seasons, but this year, the Colts are 3-5 in arguably the worst division in the NFL.
“Jim Irsay is going to make the next coaching hire,” Kravitz said during the podcast. “If he brings in a guy who demands full power — like, say, a Nick Saban, who I think he’s going to go after — if he brings in a Nick Saban, he’s going to have full power and that means that Ryan Grigson (Colts general manager) will either be kicked to the curb or he’ll have a different role in the organization.
“If he brings in a Pagano-lite, another offensive or defensive coordinator, I think that Grigson stays. So I think it’s really a 50/50 proposition at this point.”
Saban is college football’s highest-paid coach at $7.1 million annually, but Kravitz believes Irsay could shell out more in contract money.
As competitive as Saban is and the belief that he would want to make good on his mediocre, albeit brief, stint as an NFL head coach, leaving Tuscaloosa for Indianapolis doesn’t seem so far-fetched according to Kravitz, especially if full power is granted.
“Well I think that, you know, look: Jim Irsay is willing to pay the money,” Kravitz said. “He’s been willing to pay the money on players. I have no question in my mind that he’s willing to spend mega-millions on a head coach. Look, if they could give Nick Saban full power — and I fully believe that they are willing to do that — I see no reason why Nick Saban wouldn’t, because when you more or less fail at a job, you want so badly to get back in the game.
“(Saban) failed in Miami for various reasons, the biggest one being that he didn’t have full power. He wanted Drew Brees and he was told he had to take Dante Culpepper. If he had taken Drew Brees, he might still be in the league. So I think if they could offer him full power, and I think that they would be willing to do that, I could see him coming back in a heartbeat.”
(h/t SB Nation)
Now you did it Brad! I bet the Bama folks are hunting you down right now.
Actually, no. If CNS leaves at the end of this season, most BAMA fans will applaud him for what he’s done and wish him well. They will also thank him for one of the best 8 years in college football….if not THE best. I don’t think he’ll go NFL again. I wouldn’t care if he took West Virginia (since they are from there) or a smaller school closer to their place on Lake Burton. Money surely isn’t a factor. I hope he doesn’t but he’s earned the right to do whatever he wants. At least that’s the opinion of most of the sane BAMA fans I know! RTR
Who are you kidding? Tuscaloosa would burn if Saban left.
No, it wouldn’t. 8 years and 3 titles…thanks for everything, Nick. Best of luck. Now, with that said, I really hope he doesn’t leave :)
Nope. If he leaves that’s his choice.
This same story has been written by others and they all had the same results. Nick will stay at Bama for as long as it takes him to retire and then head to ESPN where he will be the best again at what he does.
Please….give up the wishful thinking.
I wake up in the morning to read and discuss great things and sometimes great topics.. This really makes me want to vomit everything I ate last night…
If you’re going to write a story of this magnitude, please be somewhat correct..
1) The Colts are 4-5 not 3-5
2) The Colts are 3-0 in their division. In the NFL, thats all that matters
3) The Colts 4th win came against a 7-0 Denver Bronco team.
4) Andrew Luck has been hurt all year pretty much (See how MSU performs without Prescott)…
And yes Alabamians would definitely be assured to give you 10 seconds of their opinion.. Now to the bathroom I go!!!!
And now that I think of it, you guys have a hard-on for the Colts after they beat Denver..Earlier it was that 12th man crap they are being sued for by the Naggies over stealing a slogan and now they’re trying to steal Bama’s coach…
Everyone loves Manning (Especially those down in Knoxville), I loved him also when played for my Colts as well..
I’ll admit….I’m a tad bit Salty over my Colts being talked about…..Smh..Smgdh!!!
Andrew luck is Garbo…the teams better without him like legit better
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love him to go. If you can’t beat him (and we clearly can’t), then get rid of him… But why on Earth would he take that job? A pay cut, a move to Indiana up-rooting your life near retirement age, a downgrade from icon status… Doesn’t make sense.
This writer does not have a clue. Saban was miserable in the NFL and has no desire to go back to the NFL. He’s a college coach. He has more of an impact on the lives of young men in the college game. He’s not going back to the NFL to coach. That’s just not going to happen and at this stage in his career it’s not about the money.
You clearly don’t know anything about Saban’s situation in Miami. Go look at his QBs and tell me winning 9 games wasn’t incredible with that talent. By the way, he wanted Drew Brees. Management gave him cullpepper. Full control would have meant Saban would still be the dolphins coach.
It’s time to move on. You can tell for the last two years that he’s not enjoying it anymore. He’s bored with it…what more can he do at the college level and at Ala? (Bet he would love a Super Bowl Ring). I would be surprised if he doesn’t go very soon.
Nah. You’re just saying crap.
If he decides to go, so be it. We have had 8 great years of football including 3 national championships with him. He will be remembered as one of the greats.
11-5 & won division.
11-5 & won division.
11-5 & won division.
not 11-5 but still wins division
and they are talking about firing the head coach? Who really believes this garbage?
Georgia fans!!! Haha!
I fully believe Saban will go back to the NFL at some point. As he edges toward retirement the urgency with which he will have to make that jump increases. I’ve never seen Saban as someone who would retire at Alabama. He is unarguably a great coach, but he has also shown himself to be out for Nick Saban first and foremost. He has no special ties in Alabama, and with all the ‘tradition’ there, no matter what he does he’ll always be the second greatest coach in program history. He’s accomplished what he can is Tuscaloosa. I think he’ll take another crack at earning a Super Bowl ring when the right offer comes along.
And if you think it’s about money or giving up living in Tuscaloosa…. Let’s be real…. Any NFL city and team can match or beat both.
Saban is an absolute perfectionist and indomitable competitor. I am certain he wants a Super Bowl ring in that finger hardware collection of his.
I would like to see him stay at Bama. The level of competition created by Bama raises the level of the rest of the SEC programs. There is no such thing as good enough in the SEC You have to be great or you will get run over by the rest of the programs. I think that is Saban’s legacy to the SEC if he leaves.
Keep dreaming, boys. It’s not happening.
Its time for Saban’s agent to start the annual get Nick another raise process.
Wow, alabama fans have a lot more class than I thought
Most forum posters from other schools said he would be gone within 3 years of being hired at Bama. I bet 90% of the posters on this forum said the same thing in their forum of choice in 2007.
If he goes, then he leaves Bama in way better shape that he found us with an incredible run…that cannot go on forever regardless of if Nick ever goes to the NFL. So, I say good luck to him either way. If he leaves the McElwain just comes on over from FL. ;-)
I don’t think Saban goes. 1) He’s already proven he can’t win in the Nfl. 2) He has “god status” in turd town. And 3) He’s a good RECRUITER, not a good developer of player talent, which is why there are the Trent Richardson type Bama players in the NFL.
Bama fan says, “tell Colts to kiss off”!