Every big team wants a big coach, especially when big bucks are involved.
While there are no bucks at the University of Texas, the Longhorns football program makes a lot of money every year, and it appears at least some of the Texas decision-makers want — or at least wanted — Alabama head coach Nick Saban to take over their program.
Two of Texas’ executives — one current and one former — contacted Jimmy Sexton, Saban’s agent, in January following Alabama’s second consecutive BCS National Championship, according to The Associated Press.
Tom Hicks, the former Texas executive, reportedly approached Texas head coach Mack Brown about retiring, which the 62-year-old did not agree to. Just days earlier, Wallace Hall, who is still employed by Texas, had reportedly been in contact with Sexton to inquire about the possibility of Saban leaving the Crimson Tide to don an orange Longhorn polo on the sidelines instead.
The 61-year-old has done the unthinkable in college sports, creating a dynasty in which Alabama has won three of the past four BCS National Championships, including a 37-21 victory over Brown’s Longhorns in the 2009 title game.
Rumors have already swirled regarding the longevity of Brown’s job security on the Texas sidelines given the team’s lack of relevance the past few seasons since losing to Alabama. After a 1-2 start to the 2013 campaign, those rumblings have only gotten louder.
It’s fair to think that Saban, who has now returned two major SEC schools back to relevance in the past decade (he led LSU to its first national title in 45 years back in 2003), may be looking for new scenery and another program to rebuild. For now, though, he probably only has two words on his mind: Roll Tide.
