One of the most legendary figures in college football history stopped by The Pat McAfee Show on Friday – and during his time on the air, he made sure to toss some love at the WVU football program.
Nick Saban, a Monongah, W.Va. native who spent a couple years with the West Virginia Mountaineers as an assistant coach in the 1970's before eventually becoming an all-time great, has always harbored some love for the program in Morgantown. And as he talked during his appearance on Friday with show host Pat McAfee – a former WVU kicker and College GameDay analyst alongside Saban – he didn't hold back when expressing a bit of his WVU fandom now that he has retired from coaching on the gridiron.
"I'm a Mountaineer at heart and they're who I grew up watching..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 5, 2025
It's a big one this weekend" ~ Coach Saban#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Fas5SC0ywY
“I’m a Mountaineer at heart. That’s what I grew up watching," Saban said. "I’m all for the Mountaineers. I’m hopeful they have success this week. I’d love to see them beat Pitt next week.”
It's not the first time over the past year Saban has been vocal about his connection to the program – last winter as the Mountaineers embarked on a coaching search, Saban said that he wanted to "help" WVU. And after Rich Rodriguez was hired, Saban told McAfee that he was the "right guy" for the job and disclosed that he had consulted with Athletic Director Wren Baker on finding a candidate who was "the right fit" for the job.
McAfee and Saban might end up in Morgantown next week, as multiple sources have reported this week that College GameDay will be bringing their show to Morgantown for The Backyard Brawl in Week 3 provided the Mountaineers can emerge victorious during a road trip to Ohio in Week 2.