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Nick Saban Was Reportedly Interested In Leaving Alabama For The Texas Job In 2013
© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
While on the Your Turn with Corby Davidson podcast, Texas megabooster Tom Hicks said on the Alabama,a head coach Nick Saban had reached out to the Longhorns through agent Jimmy Sexton following the 2012 season. He was curious about what Texas’ post-Mack Brown plans were. Hmm...
quote:

“Another regent and I had the conversation with Saban’s agent and he said, ‘If Saban was a business guy, he’d be what you would call a turnaround artist. He’s not a longterm CEO. Fix it, win and go on. He knows he will never catch Bear Bryant’s legacy in Alabama, but he’d like to create his legacy that he’s won national championships at more schools than anybody else. He’s done it at LSU and Alabama, and he knows he can win a national championship at Alabama; he knows he can,’” Hicks said.

“We had lunch and I thought at the time he was ready to leave,” Hicks said. “He’d been telling people he was ready to leave. So I said, ‘Mack, I want to tell you about a conversation I had with Jimmy Sexton. If you want to retire, I think you can graciously have Nick Saban come in and take your place and have it be your idea. That might be a nice way for you to end it.’

“Mack Brown turned bright red. Steam started coming out of his ears, and he said, ‘That guy is not coming here to win a national championship with my players.’ I said, ‘Mack, I’m glad to see you have that passion. I didn’t think you had that passion left.”
(The Spun)
Filed Under: Alabama Sports
35 Comments
user avatar
The Dude Abides57 months
"He knows he will never catch Bear Bryant’s legacy in Alabama". He already has.
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Mud_Till_May57 months
They were just puttimg pressure on mack. Its a tool they use to motivate the help.
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biglego57 months
frick you Mack Brown.
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Ace Midnight57 months
This was about the time that Sexton floated the "10 years, $100 million" or thereabouts. It was the worst kept secret in college football. Saban's sticking point was he wanted to pick the next AD.
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Broadside Bob57 months
Granted, this discussion allegedly took place in 2012, but 2019 will be his 13th season, and he's not a "long-term guy?" As an Auburn fan, I wish he never had to leave. Granted, he's going to beat you a lot, but when you beat him, it can be part of a really strong case that your team should be "in the big show." Really hard to argue with his success.
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SnoopALoop57 months
Didn't know the cuck Corby had a podcast.
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4quartaBamaball57 months
This article is emblematic of journalism in 2019.
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bountyhunter57 months
People who act like Saban has it easy at Alabama is kidding themselves. Moving on to the next project is so much easier for someone like Saban. Sustaining and keeping players from becoming complacent is a much harder job. I don't like Bama but kudos to Saban for establishing another dynasty at Alabama.
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boulwarejockstrap57 months
This was five years ago. Why is this even reported? Just leave the man st peace. He is an excellent coach and Alabama should be happy he didn’t leave. His hands are getting heavy from all the rings. And this is from a Clemson fan
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Undertow57 months
There’s no doubt he is miserable in Alabama. But he’s also the type of person that isn’t content unless they’re miserable.
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PrettyLights57 months
zzzZZZZZzzzzzZZZZzzzzzz
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DVinBR57 months
Old news when we learned his wife was looking at houses over there
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jcaz57 months
We already knew that
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bamawriter57 months
Does anyone actually believe that Hicks had Saban all but signed to coach at Texas, but didn't make it happen because he wanted Mack Brown to leave on his own terms? Hicks would have shot Brown in the face and pissed on his corpse if Saban had agreed to come to Austin.
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JackieTreehorn57 months
Like Mack Brown could have stopped them from hiring Saban. Give me a break.
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PoppaD57 months
The conversation Hicks said he had with Sexton was in 2012 and Saban was interested that year. Remember the ad Deloss Dodds didn't step down until Nov 2013. I think Dodds was still protecting Mack up until his last day. Hicks went on to say once the FB coach position was open in 2013 Saban was feed up with rumors and Sexton wouldnt return calls. I think had Mack decided to step down after 2012, Texas had a chance to get Saban. But Mack would have had to step down. His buddy Dodds had no intentions on firing Mack.
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OldSchoolHorn57 months
could have and did. Mack's buddy was his attorney Joe Jamail. You may recognize that name, the UT field and many buildings on campus were named after Joe. Texas was in transition both in President and AD & Jamail came in screeming to the defense of Brown. It was enough for Saban to pull away and the narcissistic pussy Mack Brown resigned the day after Saban extended his Bama contract. You haven't and won't see Mack Brown affiliated or honored very often in Austin... that bitch ruined his legacy with his childish petulance on the way out.
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denvertiger57 months
Of course Brown didn't stop them from pursuing Saban. Joe Jamail did. And he did so by flexing nuts around Hicks and Wallace Hall. This quote is simply Hicks trying to save face but the honest truth is that Jamail is more "important" financially to the university so he got his way.
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Roll Tide Ravens57 months
Sounds like Tom Hicks is using this to make Texas look good. I think he wants to make it appear as though the UT Board had the deal done and Mack Brown stopped it. I think he is doing this to dispel the long-existing talk that the worst thing about the Texas job is that the board and boosters want control.
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PoppaD57 months
I don't think Hicks tried to make Texas look good. There is another part of the podcast where the interviewer ask if they tried to contact Sexton again after Mack stepped down. Hicks plainly said Sexton wouldn't answer his calls anymore after a UT regent leaked the story to the media. Hicks said as soon as the regent leaked the story Saban was done. If anything this podcast makes UT look worse. They could of had Saban if they keep their mouth shut. One regent couldn't so Saban was off the table.
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GoldenGuy57 months
Didn't you hear? Texas' Back.
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Dr E Coli57 months
This is just Tom Hicks in a desperate attempt to make Texas relevant. Truly, nothing to see here.
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MykTide57 months
Sounds like Sexton did a great job for his client.
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UAinSOUTHAL57 months
This story is 110% false. Never happened.
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PoppaD57 months
I'm not sure how you know that. But Hicks plainly says he was talking to Sexton. Then another regent leaked the story to the media and Saban was done.
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mikedatyger57 months
imagine how different college football would be if Saban had gone to Texas? Crazy.
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GeeOH57 months
He would have made Texas better immediately
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