Nick Saban’s ESPN colleagues don’t think he’s cut out to be college football’s commissioner

Nick Saban’s not going to be college football’s next commissioner, so quit asking.

That hasn’t stopped those like Penn State’s James Franklin from lobbying for his former colleague to be considered, but the ex-Alabama Crimson Tide head coach scoffs at even mentioning such an idea.

It’s been playfully jabbed at him as a means to get a reaction, but as he grows more and more comfortable into his role on College GameDay, it seems increasingly unlikely that the 73-year-old Saban would toss aside the reasons he left college football as a means to fix it.

And while his former colleagues want to entertain the idea, his current colleagues don’t want to touch it with a 10-foot pole.

“Hell no… It’s a terrible idea,” Domonique Foxworth said on ESPN’s First Take, as covered by On3. “Put aside the idea of having a commissioner, having someone who is obviously associated with a specific team and organization and a conference, making all the decisions for college football. Assuming that any one person is capable of putting the best interest of college football ahead of their own personal bias – it certainly shouldn’t be Nick Saban because he does not even have the perception of unbiasedness.”

Foxworth has a point. Saban hasn’t exactly shied away from leaning into his SEC biases. He’s already unnerved an entire conference, as well as TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes, amongst others.

Imagine if he was actually the commissioner instead of a talking head doing those things.

Foxworth can’t.

“You at least have to be perceived as such, perceived as capable of doing it,” he said, per On3. “No one would accept it – because you know who would be No. 1 every year no matter what? Alabama. It makes no sense to have Nick Saban as the commissioner of college football. And I don’t even think you should have a commissioner at all.”

College football needs a commissioner. That seems to be a point of contention that at least everyone can get behind, including Shannon Sharpe. But Sharpe, like Foxworth, doesn’t think anointing Saban as the kingpin of college football makes any sense. And that has more to do with Saban’s willingness — and less with a perceived bias.

“I believe coach Saban loves what he’s doing currently with College GameDay,” Sharpe said. “It’s a lot less stressful. You make good money. You get to travel; you get out to meet people. And people pat you on the back and tell you everywhere you go that you’re the greatest college coach ever. Coach Saban doesn’t want these problems anymore. Coach Saban doesn’t want these headaches.”

And while Sharpe likes the theory of having a commissioner to get a handle on the sport moving forward, he doesn’t think Saban wants any part of that.

That’s because Saban’s legacy is built on coaching, not politics.

And no matter how many times you ask, he’s probably not about to trade in his cushy TV job for a whistle as college football’s commissioner anytime soon.

[On3]