University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban said he would step down as coach before he is too old, comparing himself to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, but said he does not look at age as an issue.
“And I don’t want to stay here beyond my years and ride the program down,” Saban said in an interview with The New York Times published Monday when asked how long he plans on coaching the team. “So as long as I feel like I can make a contribution in a positive way, to continue to have a great program for the players and that that’s helping them be successful and we have an opportunity to be successful because of that, I don’t think of age as an issue. I mean, how old’s Nancy Pelosi?”
Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide laughs after his players put the Old Leather Helmet on his head after their 42-3 win over the Duke Blue Devils at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 31, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
“She’s older,” the reporter responded. (RELATED: Alabama Coach Nick Saban Is Aware That He’s A Money-Printing Machine)
“Yeah. Way older,” Saban said jokingly. “Older than me, and probably has a more important job than me,” Saban said. (RELATED: Nick Saban Suspends Alabama LB Quandarrius Robinson Indefinitely After DUI Arrest)
Saban is 69 and Pelosi is 81.
“Anyway, as long as I feel like I can make a positive contribution in a positive way and do good things for the people in this organization, mainly the players, I enjoy doing this. I’ve been on a team since I was 9 years old,” he continued.
The Alabama football coach is a seven-time national champion and has won six titles since arriving in Tuscaloosa. (RELATED: Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban Gets An $84.8 Million Extension)
In early August, Saban signed a new eight-year deal with the University of Alabama for $84.8 million.