SABAN LOOKING TO FLEE FROM THE FINS?Surprisingly, there's a rumor making the rounds that Dolphins coach Nick Saban might try to get out of Miami after the 2006 season.The talk is that Saban sees no light at the end of the tunnel for a franchise with an aging nucleus and an unsettled quarterback situation. And the fact that he's on his way to the first losing record of his coaching career is "killing him," we're told.Even if the Fins continue to flounder and win the Brady Quinn derby, it'll be a couple of years (at least) before Quinn can make a difference. Of course, the mere fact that Saban might want out means nothing if the team doesn't want him to leave. He is under contract through the 2009 season. Though the franchise can't force him to honor the deal, they most likely can keep him from coaching for anyone else.But we won't rule out a mutual parting of the ways, because owner Wayne Huizenga surely can't be happy with the current status of the team in light of the sky-high preseason expectations. If, for example, Saban wants out and Huizenga wants him out, then perhaps the two sides agree that he'll be released from his obligations and that he'll be owed no salary for 2007 through 2009.If Saban leaves, the obvious question is where would he go next? Vacancies in the NFL might be scarce next season, even though there are several cities in which the current coach could retire (Dallas, Pittsburgh, Washington, Seattle, Indy), quit (Tennessee, Cardinals), or be fired (Ravens, Browns, Chargers, Eagles, Lions, Cardinals, 49ers).Want an intriguing possibility? How about the Bears, where head coach Lovie Smith still hasn't gotten an extension beyond the 2007 season. What if they win the Super Bowl and he asks to be released so that he can go coach, say, a team in his home state of Texas? Saban and Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo are good friends, and Saban could end up on the short list to replace Smith.Or Saban could return to the college game. Though we don't follow "amateur" football closely enough to know which jobs might come open, Joe Collegio of our sister site recently has mentioned that Mike Shula could be in trouble at Alabama. Keep in mind that this is simply wild-*** speculation. But what's not speculation is the chatter regarding Saban's unhappiness with his current situation. If the feeling becomes mutual, Saban's stay in South Florida could end up being just as long (and possibly not as successful) as Steve Spurrier's two-season stint with the 'Skins.
I personally don't think Saban would give up on the Dolphins, but I don't know him. All I know is what I read