Nick Saban is on top of the college football world (again), and as he told ESPN's Chris Low in a recent interview, he believes he's still at the top of his game, even at age 66.
"What I don't want to do is just stay forever, forever and forever and ride the program down where I'm not creating value. I would never want to do that, and I think I'm a long ways from doing that," he was quoted as saying.
Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin, who famously worked as an assistant to Saban in Tuscaloosa, concurs on the latter part.
"It can be a record-type thing. This could be another 10 years," Kiffin told ESPN Baton Rouge this week. "This is going to sound strange, but, kind of like Tom Brady as a player how he's taken care of himself. . . . Coach is extremely healthy, takes care of himself."
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"He drives himself, he works harder than everyone else in the building regardless of whether it's a 25-year-old or not," Kiffin added. "I think him stopping would only be because by choice if he wanted to . . .
"He ain't going to slow down."
Kiffin's take meshes with something Saban pal and fellow SEC legend Steve Spurrier said.
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"Nick ain't thinking about retiring, not even close," Spurrier said, per Low. "He can go into his 70s easy, and I think he will."
Saban is entering his 12th season at Alabama, with five national championships (BCS and College Football Playoff) and another title game appearance to his credit. His teams are 125-14 (.899) following a 7-6 season in 2007, his first with the Tide.
"I've been involved in some fashion with football and being a part of a football team ever since I can remember. I don't know what it would be like not doing it, and don't want to know," Saban told Low.
