Nick Saban chips in during pivotal Alabama recruiting weekend
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Nick Saban won countless football games and 6 national championships during his record-breaking run as Alabama head coach.
That run came to an end after the 2023 season when Saban decided enough was enough and retired. Since then, Saban has settled in nicely into a broadcasting role as a key figure on ESPN’s College GameDay. But this hardly means he’s said a complete goodbye to the Crimson Tide football world that he was once the center of.
Saban is still very involved, and this weekend is a clear and fine example. While current head coach Kalen DeBoer was away attending the funeral of freshman quarterback Keelon Russell’s twin sister, Nick Saban stepped in for the man who replaced him as Alabama head coach.
Kierston Russell passed away on June 3. She was expected to join her brother at Alabama this fall.
With DeBoer attending the funeral along with several Crimson Tide players and coaches, Saban was called to stand in and gave the Alabama program he still loves another gift in a sad time of need. Alabama was hosting 2026 wide receiver recruit Cederian Morgan and his family during his official visit to Tuscaloosa, and Saban was there to fulfill that visit without DeBoer being there.
Here is Saban standing in as a de facto Alabama head coach on Saturday:
Morgan and fellow recruit Ezavier Crowell were hosted on Saturday by Saban, who recruited both players before he retired after the 2023 season. So for Morgan and Crowell, a 4-star running back who is from Alabama like Morgan, it was sort of full circle this weekend with Saban being there to greet them instead of DeBoer.
Here is Saban with both in-state recruits:
Saban cooly stepped in for DeBoer, who was also there for his program in a time of need, attending the funeral of Russell’s sister on Saturday in Tupelo, Miss.
DeBoer and Saban, Alabama present and past, were both there for their beloved program this weekend in different ways, with Saban showing that he’s still got the smile and ability to court recruits.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
