Saban: High-profile firings product of pay-for-play

Former Alabama manager Nick Saban said helium isn't amazed by the caller drawstring of high-profile firings successful assemblage shot due to the fact that fans and alumni who donate wealth to programs present are much influential than ever due to the fact that of Name, Image and Likeness and gross sharing.

There person already been 9 in-season firings astatine FBS schools this season, including six astatine programs successful Power Four conferences.

"You know, I'm not [surprised] due to the fact that everybody's raising wealth to wage players," Saban said. "So, the radical that are giving the wealth deliberation they person a dependable and they're conscionable similar a clump of fans. When they get frustrated and disappointed, they enactment unit connected the [athletics directors] to instrumentality action, and it's the mode of the world."

On Sunday, Florida fired Billy Napier, who was 22-23 successful 4 seasons. The Gators beryllium Napier astir $21 million, with fractional of that buyout owed wrong 30 days. The remainder volition beryllium paid successful 3 yearly installments starting adjacent summer.

Penn State owes erstwhile manager James Franklin astir $49 cardinal aft it fired him connected Oct. 12. It's the second-biggest buyout successful assemblage shot past down lone Jimbo Fisher's $76 cardinal buyout from Texas A&M.

Some of what the Nittany Lions beryllium Franklin, whose teams had a 104-45 grounds successful his 11-plus seasons, mightiness beryllium offset by his wage astatine his adjacent coaching job.

Sam Pittman (Arkansas), Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), DeShaun Foster (UCLA) and Brent Pry (Virginia Tech) besides were fto spell this season.

Foster, Gundy, Pittman and Pry were fired earlier October.

Stanford fired Troy Taylor connected March 25 aft 2 extracurricular firms had recovered helium bullied and belittled pistillate diversion staffers and sought to person an NCAA compliance serviceman removed.

According to reports, the 9 schools who person fired their caput coaches are connected the hook for astir $116 cardinal successful buyout money, immoderate of which volition beryllium offset if they get caller jobs.

"It's truly different," said Saban, who retired from Alabama successful January 2024 and present works arsenic an expert connected ESPN's "College GameDay."

"Not successful a bully mode from a developmental standpoint; a bully mode from a quality-of life-standpoint [for the players]. But we request to find a strategy that improves the prime of beingness of players but inactive focuses connected the close worldly -- development, getting an education, each those kinds...