Alabama's Nick Saban Happy to Go Back to Normal, In-Person Recruiting

The 15th-year Crimson Tide coach addressed the local media ahead of the annual Nick's Kids Golf Tournament

VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. — Alabama football coach Nick Saban probably felt like a little kid waking up on Christmas morning this past Tuesday. 

The June 1 date marked the end of the NCAA's dead period and recruits could return to normal, in-person recruiting on respective campuses across the country. 

Alabama hosted numerous recruits on Tuesday and held its first of ten camps on Wednesday. Saban addressed his excitement to return to normal after a 15-month virtual-only break on the recruiting trail ahead of the 15th annual Nick's Kids Golf Tournament at Old Overton Club in Vestavia Hills, Ala. on Thursday morning.

“I think it’s so much better,” Saban told local reporters. “Zooming, technology allows us to do that, which is certainly better than talking to somebody on the phone. But the face-to-face contact, getting people to sit there and look at them eye to eye with their parents as well as the prospects is something that I’ve always really enjoyed. I think developing relationships with all the people in the organization who are gonna impact a guy’s future — whether it’s academics, strength and conditioning, medical staff, nutritionists.

“To develop relationships with all those people is something that I think is very important for guys being able to make decisions, and I think it’s important for them to be able to do that face to face.”

The Crimson Tide brought in the nation's No. 1 class in 2021 when it was only allowed virtual contact, and before June 1, Sports Illustrated All-American ranked Alabama's current 2022 group of six verbal commitments 21st. 

But that all will change in the coming weeks and months. 

“I missed being and having normal, in-person, face-to-face contact with people, but I think we all did a very good job relative to the circumstances we were in when we couldn’t have them to do the best job we could to develop them over Zooms,” Saban said. “We Zoomed every aspect of our program that a player would be exposed to on a visit — whether it was player panels, medical staff, academic folks, strength and conditioning coaches.

“Is it the same as face to face? Probably not. But it was the best we could do, and I’m glad we’re back to normal.”