Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher got the attention of the sports talk world with their comments about each other personally and about the programs they run.
Saban made an appearance on SiriusXM with Jacob Hester and Bobby Carpenter in the aftermath of Fisher’s fiery response, where the Crimson Tide coaching legend tried to set things straight. He wasn’t asked directly about what Fisher said.
Carpenter spoke to Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier on 106.7 The Fan in D.C. on Friday, and said the timing of Saban’s appearance was coincidental.
“It was pre-scheduled before all of that stuff happened,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter’s partner on SiriusXM, Jacob Hester, played his college football at LSU. He was recruited there by Saban, who was head coach of the Tigers from 2000 until 2004 when he left to coach the Miami Dolphins.
Hester, who played just one season for Saban, likely created a level of comfort for the coach that most other national media outlets could not offer.
Bobby Carpenter added that he did want to pressure Saban a little bit about what he had to say about other football coaches using name, image, and likeness deals to lure recruits.
“I don’t think his SID was really keen on him coming on there,” he said. “But I tried to ask some tough but respectful questions through everything.”
Saban in the interview apologized for singling out not only Fisher and A&M, but Deion Sanders and his Jackson State program as well as the University of Miami basketball program. Saban also attempted to contact Jimbo directly, but Fisher has admitted publicly he wasn’t going to take that phone call right now.