Andy Staples explains why Nick Saban joining ESPN, College GameDay is exciting

The news of newly retired legendary college football head coach Nick Saban joining the ESPN College Football GameDay crew seemed like it was a few weeks in the making and On3’s Andy Staples was among those who were simply awaiting the announcement.

Staples might not have been surprised by the move, but he was also filled to the brim with excitement about Saban’s career transition. According to the college football expert, he has always been a fan of how the longtime Alabama head coach provided in-depth analysis on college football topics.

“In the least surprising news ever, Nick Saban, fresh off his retirement, is joining the College GameDay cast,” said Staples on the Andy Staples On3 Podcast. “We knew this was coming. And I’m very excited because, in the times that Nick Saban has done television, where he has explained what is going on, on the field, it has been spectacular, absolutely spectacular.

“I always loved when he did his radio show because that was when he would get very in-depth on schematic-type stuff that he wouldn’t normally do in press conferences. It felt like when he would go on TV, it was an even more enhanced version of that. So, I cannot wait to hear him break stuff down on College GameDay. That’s must-see TV for me.”

You don’t retire as the game’s most decorated college football head coach, winning national championships in both the BCS and College Football Playoff era without knowing your way around the intricacies of the game. Saban displayed a knack for getting the best out of his players and putting his teams in the most opportune positions to, at the very least, be in the national championship conversation at the end of the season.

From his championships of the mid to late 2000’s led by a stable of Heisman Trophy-winning running backs, to his more recent teams propelled by elite quarterback play, Saban consistently found a way to win, bringing an impressive six national championships to Tuscaloosa, AL. And now he will bring all of that knowledge with him to the set of College GameDay.

It’s not just the intellect and keen eye for the game that Staples is looking forward to with Saban joining the ESPN college football brigade. It is also the fact that he believes the now-retired head coach is in a position to tell it like it is when covering storylines about the sport.

“One thing about Nick Saban, and this is, I think, a reason why he was as good as he was as a coach, is he’s great at taking what is a fairly complex concept for something that you’ve gotta be really deep in the weeds to understand and he makes it understandable to a huge group of people very quickly,” Staples said. “And it’s what great teachers do in general; they can take something and boil it down to its essence and tell you in a few sentences and make you understand.

“Whereas somebody like me is gonna just keep talking, and maybe you’re never gonna get it. So I just; I can’t wait. I think it’s gonna be so much fun to get Nick Saban’s takes on teams, schemes, [and] coaching staffs.

“I don’t think he’s going to hold back. I don’t think he’s going to worry about it because he’s not trying to get back in the game. Sometimes, you get ex-coaches who are trying to get back in, and they bite their tongue a little bit. I don’t think Nick Saban is gonna do that. I think he’s gonna be fascinating to watch on GameDay.”

Whether you loved him or hated him as a college football head coach, Saban knew how to assemble a winning roster and lead a team to the promised land. Now, he gets to use that 50 years of coaching expertise to help break down the best games in the country every Saturday alongside Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee, and the rest of the College GameDay crew. And Andy Staples could not be more excited to enjoy this for the 2024 college football season and beyond.