Alabama fans go wild for Nick Saban at ‘College Gameday’, and the legendary coach loves it

The forecast didn’t call for much rain, but every bit of that slim chance fell on Alabama and Georgia football fans during the first hour of ESPN “College GameDay” on the Quad at the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa.

And if you know college football fans, they do not feel or acknowledge elements mere hours before their teams hits the field. Or when a legendary coach like Nick Saban takes the stage.

If they could have showered him with roses, they certainly would have. The moment the 7-time national title-winner appeared on the set of the iconic pregame show, fans went ballistic.

Saban, who retired in January after 17 seasons as the Crimson Tide head coach, normally arrives via motorcade, takes a seat and speeds through a tightly produced segment before scurrying off to continue preparation for whatever big game he had to coach. Formerly tightly wound for good reason, Saban on Saturday looked relaxed and grateful for the adoration.

The coach, now a football analyst on television, waved and threw a thumbs-up to the masses flooding the Quad, with Denny Chimes perched in the backdrop. He shared belly-laughs with his cohorts Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit and broke down the college football landscapes with the rest of the panel, as prepared to talk about the Saturday slate as he would be coaching against Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs later that evening.

But new Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer joined the set during the opening hour, taking a seat directly next to his predecessor, as Saban praised the job the new guy had already done ahead of his biggest game yet in Tuscaloosa.

Nearly a third of the way through the show, the sun began to poke through the sheet of clouds covering the Capstone, and the hype became even realer following the longest bye week in recent memory. The tension would get even thicker, with heightened security looming as Bryant-Denny Stadium would welcome a former president, but fans seemed at ease for a while. They saw their coach in a mutual happy place — in a different role but back home, as they ushered in the new era together.

See photos from the “College GameDay” scene in the gallery above or below.