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Several college football programs fired their head coaches midseason, with the latest being the Florida Gators parting ways with Billy Napier on Sunday.
Legendary college football coach Nick Saban said he believes the current state of the sport is to blame.
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Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban questions a call from an official during the game with Mississippi at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 23, 2023. (Gary Cosby Jr./USA TODAY Sports)
“You know, I’m not (surprised) because everyone is raising money to pay the players,” Saban told ESPN on Tuesday. “So the people who give the money think they have a voice and are like a group of fans. When they get frustrated and disappointed, they pressure the (athletic directors) to take action, and that’s the way of the world.”
Napier and Penn State’s James Franklin are among the biggest names to be ousted during the season. Sam Pittman (Arkansas), Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), Deshaun Foster (UCLA), Brent Pry (Virginia Tech) and Trent Bray (Oregon State) were also dismissed from their respective schools.
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Penn State head coach James Franklin reacts during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in State College, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Saban said Saturday that he thought Franklin’s firing was “unfair,” given the success Franklin had at Penn State.
Saban told ESPN that college football still needs to find a way to “improve the quality of life for players” while also developing them and providing them with an appropriate education.
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban watches before the SEC championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 2, 2023. (John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports)
More coaches are expected to move during the upcoming offseason.
