Coach Prime dismissive of Kalen DeBoer, Jedd Fisch in Nick Saban tribute
Coach Prime was dismissive of Kalen DeBoer and Jedd Fisch, who both were dominoes in the Nick Saban retirement, leading both to new homes at Alabama (from Washington) and Washington (from Arizona), respectively, while discussing Saban's impact on the sport on the "RGIII and The Ones" podcast.
“He is so powerful and so strong that he’s affected three programs," Coach Prime said of Saban (h/t Sports Illustrated). "He’s affected Alabama by leaving. He’s affected by that guy leaving. Now, he’s affected Arizona by that guy leaving."
That guy from Washington just made a College Football Playoff, and that guy from Arizona just defeated Coach Prime's Buffs in Boulder on November 11. Deion Sanders mentioned neither by name.
Coach Prime wants to continue working with Nick Saban
Saban's retirement seemingly took Sanders' AFLAC co-star away from him, but Coach Prime is hoping that's not the case.
"Man, I just hope we do something with Aflac again because I like to glean from him every year," Sanders said. "I like to call him and ask his advice on certain things. There’s one thing he told me that I should’ve done, that I didn’t do, and it cost me. I can’t tell you what it is. I gotta give you the suspense, the drama of it."
Coach Prime believes Saban got to a point where he felt he didn't need the game anymore given everything he had accomplished -- and how the game itself was changing.
"I get it, so I know he’s getting it at a whole ‘nother level, because I get it when I’m meeting with parents and these young men," Sanders said. "Old school guys that were built and built their lives on hard work, dedication and trying to treat people right, they don’t see that formula work anymore. But it still does, but they don’t have the time. Coach has done some tremendous things in our game. Coach is financially secure, times 20. It’s like, ‘Man, I don’t need this. I don’t need this."
Sanders has implied Saban retired because he didn't like how things were changing. He may just be right.