Alabama notebook: Saban gives update on Deionte Thompson's status

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VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. — Alabama head coach Nick Saban confirmed Thursday that safety Deionte Thompson is back with the football team. Thompson was among four suspects in an aggravated assault incident near his hometown of Beaumont, Texas over spring break in March.

Prior to Alabama's A-Day game in April, Saban said that Thompson was "back here in school" and cooperating with law enforcement.

“As far as I know, there’s never been any charges and nothing has really ever happened," Saban said at his annual Nick's Kids Golf Tournament at Old Overton Club. "It seems like a lot of nothing from everything we can find out.”

In April, Thompson had a felony warrant out for his arrest after being involved in an investigation of an assault on Noah Frillou, 18, that occurred on March 18. Thompson then turned himself in to the Tuscaloosa County Jail where he was booked as a "fugitive of justice." He missed a week of spring practices while returning to Texas to meet with authorities before returning to the team. Thompson did not suit up for Alabama during its A-Day scrimmage.

Thompson, who will be a redshirt sophomore next season, played in 14 games last season and recorded nine tackles. He is expected to serve in a reserve role for the Crimson Tide this season.

A day after former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops announced his retirement, Saban gave no signs of following his close friend in the near future. Stoops, 56, stepped down after an 18-year career with the Sooners, while Saban, 65, is about to enter his 22nd year as a head coach and 11th with Alabama.

“As long as I feel good, I love doing it. I’ve said this before: I’ve been a part of a team since I was nine years old. It scares me to death to figure what it’s going to be like when I’m not a part of a team," Saban said when asked how long he'd continue coaching. “So, as long as I feel good and I’m healthy and I can do it, we certainly have every intention of trying to do it. If I felt like I couldn’t do it to the standard that I want to do it, then I think that would be time not to do it. But I certainly don’t feel like that’s anytime soon.”

Saban shared his respect for Stoops, calling him a "really, really good friend." The two share a close relationship as Stoops' father, Ron Stoops, used to coach at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio where Saban used to recruit players while at Michigan State.

"Bob has been a tremendous asset to the profession based on the job he does, the quality of coach that he is, the great person he is, the integrity that he has and running a real first-class program," Saban said. "Personally, I hate to see great leadership like Bob Stoops leave the profession but we certainly wish he and his family the very best. He's not only a colleague we have a tremendous amount of respect for, he's a great friend."

Saban agreed to an eight-year contract extension in May which would see him coach into 2024. At that point, Saban would be 73 years old. While the head coach still appears to be in excellent health, the thought of retirement is something that occasionally comes to his mind.

“I don’t think that anybody can not have those thoughts. But my thought is I want to do it as long as I feel like I can do it. I really enjoy being around the players. I really enjoy trying to create value for them and their future, whether it’s their personal development, seeing them graduate, seeing them develop as football players and have opportunities in life.

“And I think we do it as well at Alabama, because of the team that we have, as any place, and I’m really proud of that.”

Saban made waves on social media after sporting a Nashville Predators jersey before Game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup finals between the Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins last week. While rooting for the Predators should come as no surprise given that Saban owns a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Nashville, it did put the West Virginia native in a strange position.

“Well you know that’s tough on me, because where I’m from, everybody’s a Penguins fan, so they’re killing me,” Saban said with a smile. “But I actually got the fever. I do watch, when I can, most of the Stanley Cup playoff games. So I started watching them and really kind of took a liking to the way their team competes and all that. It’s really great to see a city sort of embrace a team like Nashville has the Predators. The atmosphere and excitement in the stadium was fantastic."

It’s been quite some time since Saban attended any game as a spectator. The head coach even admitted he was a bit lost at times watching a game live from the stands.

“One of the things that I found out when I sat down to watch the game and Terry’s doing her towel and all this, you know, I’m sitting there like, ‘I don’t really know what to do here,’” Saban said. “It’s been like five years since I’ve been at a game that’s not our game. And I’ve never sat in the stands when it’s our game. I had to get used to being a fan again. It was a great night.”