Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney is very familiar with the Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Nick Saban. The two coaches have alternated national championships over the last four years and they once again could be on a collision course for the College Football Playoff.
And if Swinney is to be believed, we could see plenty of Swinney vs. Saban matchups in the coming years.
Swinney, who signed a 10-year, $93 million contract extension with Clemson after winning the national championship earlier this year, was discussing Saban when he shared his prediction for the Crimson Tide coach’s future.
“Heck no, he ain’t ever gonna retire,” Swinney said, via ESPN’s Chris Low. “What’s he gonna do? He ain’t gonna sit at the lake or go fishing, and he’ll eventually get tired of playing golf. I think he’s just like most of us coaches. We enjoy our time when we get a break, but he loves what he does. I love what I do. I think we probably both are happiest when we’re in camp and just back to the grind of what we’re doing.
“And I know he’s 60-something years old, but I guarantee you he still handles himself and carries himself and feels like he’s probably 40. So he’s got a lot of energy. He’s got a lot in front of him. You can still see how passionate he is about what he does. I don’t see him retiring anytime soon, so he’s got a lot more football ahead.”
Saban is set to turn 68 years old this fall and recently had a right hip replacement. But according to Swinney, there are no signs of Saban slowing down anytime soon.
Clemson kicks off its national championship defense on August 29 against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Alabama, meanwhile, stars their 2019 campaign on August 31 against the Duke Blue Devils.
