Nick Saban Apologizes to Reporter for Terse Response to Postgame Question

Even the Alabama coach recognized that he didn’t give the answer that he should have.

Nick Saban is infamous for shutting down reporters and questions in press conferences and he was back to his old ways following Alabama’s season-opening win over Middle Tennessee last Saturday. 

However, the Crimson Tide coach appears to be turning over a new leaf as he took the time to re-answer a query about quarterback Jalen Milroe during his latest media session.

Speaking Wednesday to Austin Hannon of BamaCentral, who asked about quarterback Milroe’s confidence level after Alabama’s 56–7 rout, Saban offered what sounded like an apology for his blunt response. He made clear that the initial question wasn’t the issue, but that his answer was.

“You didn’t ask a bad question the other night. I just didn’t answer it very well. When a guy plays well in a game at any position, it should help his confidence and it should help him perform better in the future,” Saban said. “But I do think that every player has to understand that just because I played well, I still want to try to improve the few things I could’ve done better.

“I think if a person keeps that mindset, then they’re always improving because you’re never satisfied and you’re always trying to do better.”

Respect 🤝🏼 pic.twitter.com/thluoqCC0B

— Austin Hannon (@austinhannon_) September 7, 2023

Hannon originally asked Saban whether Milroe’s performance against Middle Tennessee, which saw him rack up five total touchdowns, would give the sophomore signal-caller a confidence boost going forward. 

In classic Saban fashion, the answer was dripping with sass.

“So you’re asking me to speculate and answer a hypothetical question about how some guy’s gonna perform in the future. I don’t really know...” Saban responded before reaching for his prop. “This is a coke bottle, it’s not a crystal ball.”

Though Saban sought to walk back his initial terseness, Hannon admitted that he feared the worst when he was mentioned by name in Wednesday’s press conference.

I thought I was maybe getting yelled at again… https://t.co/uv8Codk1Ws

— Austin Hannon (@austinhannon_) September 7, 2023

With the situation inside the media room now smoothed over, Saban will turn his focus back to Alabama’s highly-anticipated matchup with Texas, scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.