College Football

Alabama prepared to give Nick Saban another raise, according to CBS

The Crimson Tide want to keep Saban as college football's highest-paid coach.

By Chris Fuhrmeister@ccfuhr Dec 10, 2013, 5:50pm EST

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Alabama is ready to give head coach Nick Saban another raise in order to keep him as the highest paid coach in college football, according to CBS Sports' Jeremy Fowler. The school reportedly approached Saban's representation before the Crimson Tide's 34-28 loss to Auburn in the regular-season finale.

NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt followed up the CBS story by reporting negotiations for a deal in the range of $7 million per year. That would be a substantial pay boost over Saban's current contract.

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Saban is making $5.5 million this season, per USA Today, which places him just ahead of the country's second-richest head coach, Texas' Mack Brown. Brown is making $5.4 million in 2013. Saban has taken Alabama on an run of three national titles in four years, unprecedented for the school, and the Crimson Tide have compiled an eye-popping 72-8 record since the start of the 2008 season. They're 42-6 in SEC play during that stretch.

Brown's days in Austin may be numbered, and a decision on the coach's future is expected within the next 48 hours. If there is a changing of the guard at Texas, Saban's name will top the list of possible replacements. He has already been linked to the Longhorns via several reports and rumors, denying interest each time. But if he does indeed turn down UT, he will likely also turn down an incredibly lucrative contract.

Despite the persistent Saban-to-Texas rumors, they have nothing to do with Alabama's readiness to give its head coach a raise, according to Fowler's report.