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VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. — Nick Saban returned to the golf course Thursday as he took part in the Nick’s Kids charity golf tournament at Old Overton Country Club. While the 67-year-old head coach said his golf game is still somewhat limited following his hip surgery in April, he shared a few smiles while reassuring to the public that he has no plans of hanging up his whistle anytime soon. Here’s a full transcript of Saban’s brief interview session with the media.
Saban on NIck’s Kids Foundation
“We’re really excited about being here again for I guess this is the 13th year. I think everybody really understands what Nick’s Kids is all about. My dad’s legacy of trying to give back to young people and help them have a better opportunity to be successful in life and also to honor the people who help the young people who go unnoticed sometimes.
We’ve had a lot of great supporters throughout the years. We certainly appreciate their support and what they’ve done to help us help others. Terry and I have also contributed in speaking engagements and commercials and things that we do to try to enhance the development of what we’ve been able to give away and what we’ve been able to do which I think is well over $8 million. We’ve just completed a couple of projects in Tuscaloosa, and I’m sure Miss Terry, you could talk to her about all there is that she’s spending.”
How good does it feel to swing a golf club?
“Oh, it’s great. They still won’t let me get my driver or 3-wood and 5-iron up, but I’ve learned a lot about the game. It’s a target game, so it’s not about how far you hit it. You actually play better when you hit it straight, so that’s been a good thing.”
How much do you enjoy interacting with people who have taken part in the Nick’s Kids Foundation?
“This is a great group of folks who are getting involved in Nick’s Kids. Of course our staff is going to be here, so it’s always good to spend some time with your staff. I don’t get to see these folks that often, so this is a day we look forward to. I actually stand on one hole and play one hole with every group, so I get to renew some of those acquaintances. We probably appreciate what they do more than they know, and their relationship is really valued by Miss Terry and I both.”
What do you think about the Vegas odds on your retirement?
“That’s the first I heard of that one, but it’s amusing. You know, after the six hours I spent at home in the chair after I got home from the hospital, I think you all heard that I was outside walking around in the yard, and I think Miss Terry was ready to call the police on me if I didn’t get back in in the house. So, that’s not something that I enjoy, and that’s not something I really want to do anytime soon, I can tell you that.
“I just enjoy so much being part of the team, I love so much the relationships. To have Julio Jones come back for the first two days I was doing my rehab on my hip, he was there with me doing it. Tua (Tagovailoa) actually came in yesterday when I was doing rehab and gave me a medical examination. Some of these things are really special. So, no time soon. I don’t know what Vegas knows that I don’t know.”
Are you feeling 100 percent after your surgery?
“I don’t know about 100 percent but at least able to do everything you need to do without hurting yourself. I think it will still take a few weeks probably of strengthening to get back to normal or 100 percent.”
With the NCAA studying name likeness, are we getting closer to losing the amateurism in college football? Does that concern you?
“I think there’s probably some ways, and I think we have some really good people who are studying the options to be able to maintain some kind of amateur status kind of like what they do in the Olympics. Still reinforce players’ brand but still maintain the integrity of college football.”
What is behind the improvement mentality you are stressing to your players?
“I don’t think we finished like we wanted to finish last year. You’ve heard me talk about the Bama factor, and I don’t think we had all those ingredients toward the end of the season and I don’t think we improved toward the end of the season. And if you’re going to have a chance to win a championship, that’s critical.
“When you look at the teams that we played down the stretch — like LSU and Mississippi State and Auburn, Georgia in the championship game, Oklahoma, Clemson — you better be improving, you better be hitting on all cylinders, players better be paying to detail in preparation while the practice or else you’re going to get exposed by good teams. Hopefully, we learned something from that and we’ll be able to be a little bit better in the future.”
What do the possible renovations to Bryant-Denny Stadium say about the success you brought to this program?
“I think it speaks volumes of the commitment to the standard of excellence that the athletic department and Greg Byrne, the university all have to try and continue to be the best. I think that if you’re staying pat and everybody else is sort of chasing you in what you do they’re eventually going to catch you. I think to be aggressive in how we go about in trying to make improvements is really, really important to our continued success.
I don’t think it’s any different than what we try to do as a football team. We’re always trying to find a better way, and we’re always trying to improve our brand and how we do things. So I think it’s one of the things that make it special to be the coach at Alabama is you know that you have the administration and people who have those same goals and aspirations.”
