Alabama's Nick Saban Returns to Work Two Days After Hip Replacement Surgery

Not even a new hip can slow Saban down.
Alabama's Nick Saban Returns to Work Two Days After Hip Replacement Surgery
Alabama's Nick Saban Returns to Work Two Days After Hip Replacement Surgery /

Alabama's Nick Saban returned to work less than two full days after having hip replacement surgery.

The 67-year-old Crimson Tide coach underwent surgery on Monday and Alabama athletic department spokesman Josh Maxson confirmed to ESPN that Saban was back in his office early on Wednesday morning. 

"I did some rehab at home [on Tuesday] and threw away the walker after one day," Saban told ESPN. "I've got a cane, and I'm rolling now."

Saban added that the six hours he was home on Tuesday with nothing to do was "like torture. I don't know how people do it."

Dr. Lyle Cain of Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center, a consultant with Alabama's athletic department, said that Saban's surgery was a success. The procedure was done just a week after Saban said he was having his hip evaluated.

Saban's hip started bothering him on the first day of spring practice. He said he wanted to be aggressive in tackling the problem during the summer so it was not a problem come this fall.

"I want to get it fixed because I don't want to coach for one more year–I want to coach for a lot of more years," he told reporters following Alabama's spring game on Saturday, April 13. "So whenever things like this come up, I want to be aggressive and proactive to try and get it taken care of. We'll certainly do that, and we've got really good people to do it."

The Crimson Tide start preseason camp in early August before opening the 2019 season against Duke at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Aug. 31.

Alabama finished the 2018 season with a loss to Clemson in the national title game. As many as three of Saban's stars from that team are expected to be selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft, which begins on Thursday in Nashville.

Due to the surgery, Saban will not make his expected appearance at this year's draft.


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