At the very least, it seems obvious that Nick Saban is going to get more money from Alabama if he chooses to stay in Tuscaloosa. The impending coaching vacancy at Texas has placed the four-time national champion in an incredible position of strength, and ESPN.com’s Paul Finebaum is reporting that Saban has had a contract extension offer on his desk since Friday.
Finebaum added that the school is growing more and more “uncomfortable” the longer Saban goes without signing the new deal. As we know, there have been rumors from some pretty credible sources claiming Saban is expected to be the next head coach at Texas after Mack Brown steps down. However, one reporter admitted he does not have enough info on his Saban to Texas rumor to warrant a full news story.
Should Saban sign the extension with Alabama and stop making school officials “nervous,” it would be his second raise since March. He signed a contract extension worth $5.62 million per season nine months ago and said it would allow him to finish his coaching career at Alabama.
“From my standpoint, the acceptance of this extension represents our commitment … to the University of Alabama for the rest of our career,” Saban said at the time. “We made that decision after the season when other people were interested.”
As we know, this is the same coach who infamously said he would not leave the Miami Dolphins before accepting the job at Bama. We know better than to rule out a departure, just as Saban’s camp knows better than to pass up more money by denying he has any interest in the Texas job.
