Brian Kelly speculates when Nick Saban could potentially retire from college football

Earlier this week, Alabama head coach Nick Saban turned 71 years old. He’s the oldest coach in the SEC, and he’s gearing up to face another experienced coach this weekend in LSU headman Brian Kelly — who made sure to remind Saban about their age difference.

Kelly, 61, joined The Paul Finebaum Show ahead of Saturday’s game and talked about how Saban is still working at such a high level as he gets older. Given his age, questions continue to pop up about when Saban will eventually retire from coaching even though he’s said he hasn’t thought about it. Kelly takes Saban at his word and is preparing to face the legendary Alabama coach for the foreseeable future.

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“People ask me all the time, ‘When do you think Nick Saban’s going to retire?’ I don’t think he’s going to retire,” Kelly said. “I think if Nick Saban’s health is good — and, listen, I don’t have any inside information — but if his health is good and he can continue to do the things that he loves to do, he’s going to be coaching football for a lot longer.”

Kelly cited Saban’s health as a reason why he’s still going strong in his 49th year as a football coach. Couple that with his passion for coaching college athletes, that makes for a strong mentality every day.

“He keeps himself in great shape,” Kelly said. “He takes care of himself. He’s so passionate about his health. He sets a great model for his team, too, by doing so. His passion is to be around student-athletes and making a difference in their lives, and that’s his why. Every morning, he gets up, he wants to make a difference. That’s a motivator.”

Brian Kelly press conference begins with a birthday wish for Nick Saban

LSU coach Brian Kelly has been loose and fun in his last couple press conferences, with the Tigers sitting at 6-2 and heading into a showdown with No. 6 Alabama for the top spot in the SEC West. On Monday, Kelly’s press conference began with a special shoutout to Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.

Kelly first joked with the local reporters present, chiding them over not wearing Halloween costumes, before tipping his cap to Saban.

“It’s a big day, as you know. It’s Nick Saban’s birthday, so I want to wish him a happy birthday to start this off,” Kelly said. “Maybe that’ll soften things up a little bit.

“You can always start a press conference by throwing a little happy birthday wish out to your opposing coach.”