Nick Saban Joins ESPN's 'College GameDay' as Analyst After Alabama Retirement

Nick Saban's third act in his football career will be with ESPN.

The company announced Wednesday that the legendary head coach will be joining College GameDay as an analyst, a huge addition for the show given Saban's wealth of football knowledge.

"ESPN and College GameDay have played such an important role in the growth of college football, and I'm honored to have the opportunity to join their team," he said in a statement. "I'll do my best to offer additional insights and perspectives to contribute to College GameDay, the ultimate Saturday tradition for college football fans."

"Nick Saban is a singular, iconic presence in college football," ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro added. "He is also an extremely gifted communicator, who will immediately add even more credibility, authority and entertainment value to ESPN, including our esteemed College GameDay show."

Saban's first act saw him climb through the college ranks, with head coaching stints at Toledo (1990), Michigan State (1995-99) and LSU (2000-04) while also holding down a defensive coordinator position with the Cleveland Browns (1991-94). He won a national championship at LSU and the NFL came calling, leading to the Miami Dolphins hiring him in 2005.

That ended poorly, however, as Saban went just 15-17 in two seasons with the Dolphins (2005-06).

But Alabama was happy to bring him aboard, the beginning of his second act. And what an act it was—Saban went 206-29 with the Crimson Tide and won six national championships, creating a true juggernaut at the school.

While Georgia and Kirby Smart eventually caught up to Alabama later in Saban's tenure, the school's run of dominance in both the loaded SEC and across the college football landscape in general was truly incredible. He retired from the sport this offseason as arguably the greatest college football head coach of all time.

As for his third act, it had long been rumored that Saban was ESPN's dream hire for College GameDay, giving them a fantastic eventual replacement for Lee Corso. Saban's insights should be a welcomed addition to the show.