BREAKING NEWS: Alabama coach is very eager to welcome his….

Alabama’s rookie tight end shows off his Crimson Tide locker.

Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban made his first public appearance in Tuscaloosa since Kalen DeBoer’s introductory news conference by attending a men’s basketball game against Texas A&M at Coleman Coliseum on Saturday. Saban, accompanied by his wife Terry Saban, sat with a group of former Alabama basketball players, including Herb Jones, Noah Clowney, Noah Gurley, and Antoine Pettway, near the Tide’s bench. Pettway, currently the head coach at Kennesaw State, was part of a halftime ceremony honoring the 2004 Elite Eight team.

Additionally, Saban addressed the men’s basketball team on Friday, as mentioned by coach Nate Oats during a pregame Crimson Tide Sports Network radio interview. Oats highlighted Saban’s emphasis on focusing on the present and the process rather than fixating on potential championships. Oats explained that discussing championships too much can divert attention from the necessary daily improvements, stating that championships will naturally follow if the team concentrates on getting better each day.

After retiring, Saban spent time at his Florida residence and participated in the Pro-Am earlier in the month as part of the PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open. He also played in Reggie Jackson’s celebrity golf tournament in Florida in late January. The athletics director, Greg Byrne, hinted at future plans to honor Saban’s 17-year tenure, expressing that there are undisclosed initiatives in progress, and more details will be shared when the timing is appropriate.