When Nick Saban speaks, the world of college football listens. So, when the greatest coach of all time shared his thoughts on the state of college football and the head coach job openings, it carried quite a bit of weight.
On Friday, Saban made an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, hosted by his co-talent on ESPN's College GameDay. During the episode, McAfee and Saban debated which job opening was the most desirable: Penn State? LSU? Florida?
Saban, who is obviously no rookie when it comes to coaching in the SEC, having won seven total National Championships with the Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers, said that the openings in his former conference might not carry the same weight that they used to.
Saban knocks LSU and Florida jobs down a peg
"External factors are constantly changing in College Football... How are you able to adapt to those circumstances?" Saban said. "LSU and Florida are traditionally the best jobs, but are they the best jobs now?"
As the world of college football has changed faster than ever before, a few programs have been left behind, and that has undeniably included the Florida Gators up to this point.
Over the three-and-a-half years that former head coach Billy Napier was at Florida, he led the Gators to an abysmal 22-23 overall record. If you look back at Florida's record since 2014, when the first College Football Playoffs were held, the Gators have won just 87 games, losing 58 of them.
With an expanded CFP, an ever-changing transfer portal, and constantly evolving NIL deals, the Gators simply haven't figured out how to keep pace, and Saban voiced that opinion for the world to hear.
"External factors are constantly changing in College Football..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 31, 2025
How are you able to adapt to those circumstances..
LSU and Florida are traditionally the best jobs but are they the best jobs now" ~ Coach Saban#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/gXD1D7o336
LSU, of course, is an even worse state than the Gators, as the Tigers are currently head coach-less, Athletic Director-less, and are seemingly run by the state Governor, Jeff Landry.
The Gators undeniably needed to end the Billy Napier experience in Gainesville, but as of now, Florida might struggle to find a premier head coach to fill his shoes, especially as more and more powerhouse programs part ways with their leaders.