Absence of Nick Saban felt at 2024 SEC Spring Meetings

SANDESTIN, Fla. — The windy beach is still pristine, buzzing with family, friends and conference big-wigs.

Presidents, ADs and coaches continue to roam the halls, talking shop and future summer vacation plans. 

The media workroom is the same freezing, windowless cave in the basement of the Hilton Hotel, far away from any oceanside views or white sand. 

But something is missing at the 2024 SEC Spring Meetings: College football’s GOAT head coach. 

The vacuum of no Nick Saban this year’s spring meetings — a first in 17 years — has been felt by everyone from Paul Finebaum (“I’ve been waiting for (Saban) to show up”) to Texas head coach and former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who attended the event for the first time.  

“I’m just curious did he stay here the night or did he fly here and fly back (after the football meetings)?” Sarkisian said with a wide smile. 

“I want to know if he and Miss Terry had two bunkbeds in their room.”

Nick Saban’s role at the SEC Meetings

For three decades, dating back to his days at LSU, Nick Saban wasn’t only a staple at the offseason SEC Meetings, (both in Birmingham and Destin) but a thought leader and educator. He didn’t dominate the meetings, per Arkansas’ Sam Pittman, but when he spoke, his voice carried real weight.  

“He wasn’t overall vocal, but what he said something, you knew he’d thought about it, had talked to people about it and was probably right.”

With the sport constantly changing over the years, Saban embraced his leadership role, and while he certainly was always looking out for LSU or Alabama’s best interest  — (Who can forget: “Is this really what we want the sport to become?” retort in his disgust for up-tempo offenses, only for Saban to discover the best loopholes on how to maximize the new rules both offensively and defensively) — the veteran coach was also revered for the way he looked out for the SEC writ large. 

“He had sat in more of those meetings than anybody when you add the LSU and Alabama time together, it was very valuable,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. 

“People relied on him for experience and knowledge. He’s very thoughtful in terms of what he comes up with and ideas to make football better. I always respected the fact that whether I was an assistant coach for him or a head coach alongside him in there, it was never about what was best for his team. It was about what was best for the game of football. Sometimes people lose sight of that for self-preservation.”

In Saban’s absence, Smart has assumed the mantle of top dog in the meetings this week, at least according to Pittman and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. 

Like Sarkisian, the fellow Alabama offensive coordinator lamented not having his former boss and mentor here in Destin.

“I was in these meetings in 2008-09 (when I was) at Tennessee with coach Saban. Greg Sankey was the assistant commissioner at the time, and we’re the only ones left now that Coach is gone. It definitely was strange not having coach Saban in there,” Kiffin said. 

“Kirby kind of took over and is the lead guy now.”

It’s a particularly strange year for no Saban at these meetings because of all the pertinent topics being discussed among the SEC coaches. The future schedule isn’t the dominant debate de jour, but instead, roster caps, injury reports, NIL and the recruiting calendar are at the top of the coaches’ minds. 

“In the nine years I’ve been a part of this, these are the most anticipated meetings because there’s so much left, not for us to decide, but to have input on,” Smart said. 

“Some of it is beyond our decision-making process, so there’s a lot there.”

As the coaches became further educated on the fallout of the House v. NCAA settlement, Pittman noted that Smart was the chosen advocate to fight for as many roster spots as possible with a potential looming hard roster cap.  

“Coach Smart represented us this morning and did a great job telling them what we’d like to happen with the roster numbers,” Pittman said.

What SEC coaches think about the future of Nick Saban, Alabama football

Although Nick Saban no longer attends the SEC Spring Meetings or is the head coach at Alabama, the seven-time national champion remains involved in the sport and will continue to have an impact as an outspoken “ambassador.”

Sarkisian highlighted Saban’s potential to lead on an “even bigger stage,” complementing the head coach for his work during the NFL Draft and on College GameDay.

“I think he’s doing great (in retirement),” Sarkisian said. 

“I thought his analysis for the NFL Draft was incredible. I’ve even had a chance to visit with a couple of different NFL teams and coaches. They even commented on some of the thoughts he had on different players.

”I think he’s going to be great on GameDay and being an ambassador for our sport.”

First-year Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer hasn’t shied away from stepping into the huge shoes left by Saban, and it’s clear among other coaches in the conference that just because the SEC suddenly exists in a Saban-less world, they don’t anticipate a major drop-off from the team out of Tuscaloosa.  

“The league still has some pretty dang good teams and I’m sure Alabama’s still gonna be one of them,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said. 

South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer was even more sufficient: “Alabama’s Alabama,” he said with a smirk. 

“It’s not like they hired some slouch to replace him. Obviously, Coach DeBoer has done an amazing job wherever he’s been. Obviously, Coach Saban elevated that program to heights they hadn’t been at in a long time. Coach DeBoer will continue to do a great job. 

“I look at it as another great coach came in the league and we added two great programs, two great coaches into the league and it was already the toughest conference in America that has only gotten tougher … regardless of who was in those chairs. 

“You look around that room and there’s still a bunch of future Hall of Fame coaches all around that room right now.”