Nick Saban Once Again Blasts Critics of Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day

Nick Saban knows what it’s like to be a head coach under the microscope.

ESPN analyst Nick Saban. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Current college football head coaches would be hard-pressed to find a better advocate for them than their former colleague Nick Saban, who now has taken on a role at ESPN as an analyst and commentator.

On Monday before the national championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame, Saban once again used his share of the media spotlight to defend Buckeyes coach Ryan Day, who before the team’s run to the title game, was subject to harsh criticism for the team’s loss to archrival Michigan.

“I think it is absolutely ridiculous that Ryan Day has been criticized the way that he has,” Saban began in his fiery rant.

“You’ve got to give the guy credit—he built the roster. He’s built the roster for three years and it’s gotten better. His coaches have made the players better. They’ve made a lot of improvement and they’ve overcome adversity, especially after the Michigan game.”

Saban’s final comment made his (understandable) pro-coach bias clear.

“We should be giving the guy credit and being positive because every time you’re negative, it affects recruiting, it affects everything that you do, and he’s been able to overcome the naysayers and still get to the national championship game,” Saban concluded. “Win or lose, I think that guy deserves respect.”

"I think it is absolutely ridiculous that Ryan Day has been criticized the way he has."

Nick Saban sounds off on the Ohio State HC's critics 😳 pic.twitter.com/aLrLCKHCpY

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) January 20, 2025

It’s not the first time Saban has gone out of his way to defend Day in his role on College Gameday.

After Ohio State’s shocking loss to Michigan, Saban was early on the Buckeyes bandwagon, telling fans to get back behind their team because they had a real chance to win a national championship—a position that’s proven entirely correct through the playoff.

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