Today in Nick Saban speculation: The Colts will make a run at him
Back in September, NFL Media’s Albert Breer wrote that Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay “might be ready to go big-game hunting” should he be in the market for a new coach after the season. And with Chuck Pagano’s days seemingly numbered in Indy, it looks like Irsay might be on such a hunt in the near future.
But who would be considered “big game”? There are the usual names: Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, etc. But then there’s the biggest game of all just sitting there down in Alabama waiting to be hunted, apparently: Crimson Tide Coach Nick Saban.
That’s the name being bandied about by longtime Indianapolis sports journalist Bob Kravitz this week on Adam Schein’s SiriusXM show. And the pursuit of Saban — or any other “big game” — could affect whether General Manager Ryan Grigson sticks around, too.
Stampede Blue has the transcription of Kravitz’s thoughts on the subject:
“But I think it comes down to this: Jim Irsay is going to make the next coaching hire. If he brings in a guy who demands full power – like, say, a Nick Saban, who I think he’s going to go after – if he brings in a Nick Saban, he’s going to have full power and that means that Ryan Grigson will either be kicked to the curb or he’ll have a different role in the organization. If he brings in a Pagano-lite, another offensive or defensive coordinator, I think that Grigson stays. So I think it’s really a 50/50 proposition at this point.”
Again, this is Kravitz just speculating, but he’s been around the Colts forever and, as Stampede Blue’s Josh Wilson points out, would probably have a good feeling on these things. As for why Saban would want to take another shot at the NFL after a highly ignoble tenure in Miami, it has to do with the power granted to him (having Andrew Luck at quarterback doesn’t hurt, either):
“Well I think that, you know, look: Jim Irsay is willing to pay the money,” Kravitz said. “He’s been willing to pay the money on players. I have no question in my mind that he’s willing to spend mega-millions on a head coach. Look, if they could give Nick Saban full power – and I fully believe that they are willing to do that – I see no reason why Nick Saban wouldn’t, because when you more or less fail at a job, you want so badly to get back in the game. He failed in Miami for various reasons, the biggest one being that he didn’t have full power. He wanted Drew Brees and he was told he had to take Dante Culpepper. If he had taken Drew Brees, he might still be in the league. So I think if they could offer him full power, and I think that they would be willing to do that, I could see him coming back in a heartbeat.”
Of course, there is the small matter of whether Saban actually wants to leave Alabama, where he’s won three national titles and could continue to be in the national title chase, if he so wanted, until he retires. What isn’t up for debate is whether Irsay would pony up the money to land Saban, who makes nearly $7 million a year at Alabama and reportedly turned down somewhere between $12 million and $15 million per year to take the Texas job.
Back in September, NFL Media’s Albert Breer wrote that Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay “might be ready to go big-game hunting” should he be in the market for a new coach after the season. And with Chuck Pagano’s days seemingly numbered in Indy, it looks like Irsay might be on such a hunt in the near future.
But who would be considered “big game”? There are the usual names: Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, etc. But then there’s the biggest game of all just sitting there down in Alabama waiting to be hunted, apparently: Crimson Tide Coach Nick Saban.
That’s the name being bandied about by longtime Indianapolis sports journalist Bob Kravitz this week on Adam Schein’s SiriusXM show. And the pursuit of Saban — or any other “big game” — could affect whether General Manager Ryan Grigson sticks around, too.
Stampede Blue has the transcription of Kravitz’s thoughts on the subject:
“But I think it comes down to this: Jim Irsay is going to make the next coaching hire. If he brings in a guy who demands full power – like, say, a Nick Saban, who I think he’s going to go after – if he brings in a Nick Saban, he’s going to have full power and that means that Ryan Grigson will either be kicked to the curb or he’ll have a different role in the organization. If he brings in a Pagano-lite, another offensive or defensive coordinator, I think that Grigson stays. So I think it’s really a 50/50 proposition at this point.”
Again, this is Kravitz just speculating, but he’s been around the Colts forever and, as Stampede Blue’s Josh Wilson points out, would probably have a good feeling on these things. As for why Saban would want to take another shot at the NFL after a highly ignoble tenure in Miami, it has to do with the power granted to him (having Andrew Luck at quarterback doesn’t hurt, either):
“Well I think that, you know, look: Jim Irsay is willing to pay the money,” Kravitz said. “He’s been willing to pay the money on players. I have no question in my mind that he’s willing to spend mega-millions on a head coach. Look, if they could give Nick Saban full power – and I fully believe that they are willing to do that – I see no reason why Nick Saban wouldn’t, because when you more or less fail at a job, you want so badly to get back in the game. He failed in Miami for various reasons, the biggest one being that he didn’t have full power. He wanted Drew Brees and he was told he had to take Dante Culpepper. If he had taken Drew Brees, he might still be in the league. So I think if they could offer him full power, and I think that they would be willing to do that, I could see him coming back in a heartbeat.”
Of course, there is the small matter of whether Saban actually wants to leave Alabama, where he’s won three national titles and could continue to be in the national title chase, if he so wanted, until he retires. What isn’t up for debate is whether Irsay would pony up the money to land Saban, who makes nearly $7 million a year at Alabama and reportedly turned down somewhere between $12 million and $15 million per year to take the Texas job.
