In the days between Alabama’s Rose Bowl loss to Michigan and Nick Saban’s retirement, uncertainty hung over the program. Players were weighing their futures, the transfer portal was open, and no one yet knew the era that was about to end.
During that window, Saban continued meeting privately with players, including then-backup quarterback Ty Simpson.
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That conversation, Simpson revealed this week on the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast, would end up defining the trajectory of his career.
“Literally, like two days before,” Simpson said on the podcast. “I had a conversation with him, like, ‘hey coach what should I do?’”
Simpson explained that he went to Saban looking for honest guidance. With opportunities elsewhere and his role at Alabama uncertain, he wanted clarity from the coach who recruited him.
“We talked about it,” Simpson said. “He said, ‘I get it if you want to leave, but I know you and I know what you wanted in recruiting. If you want to create value for yourself, this could be a great story for you and you could leave a legacy here.’”
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Simpson took that advice seriously.
“I thought about it, prayed about it, and I was like, ‘you know what? You’re right,’” Simpson said.
Then everything changed.
“The next thing you know he retires.”
The timing, Simpson admitted, initially left him stunned.
“I’m sitting there and I’m like, ‘well he just lied to me,’” Simpson said.
But that reaction didn’t last long. As the son of a coach, Simpson said he understood the complexity of the situation and what Saban was navigating behind the scenes.
“But also as a coach’s son, I understand,” Simpson said. “I understand what was going on. I understand how he thought about it. We had a good conversation about it. To this day we laugh about it.”
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Despite the sudden transition at the top, Simpson stayed committed to Alabama, and that decision ultimately changed everything.
Simpson earned the starting quarterback job ahead of the 2025 season and has led the Crimson Tide back to the College Football Playoff.
In the first round, Simpson delivered on the biggest stage, guiding Alabama to a win over Oklahoma and validating the patience and belief that kept him in Tuscaloosa.
In a sport defined by quick exits and instant gratification, Ty Simpson chose the harder path.
He stayed.
He waited.
And when his moment arrived, he delivered.
What Nick Saban called a “great story” is no longer hypothetical, it’s already written into Alabama’s playoff run.
