The Surprising Secret Behind President Trump’s Choice of Nick Saban to Introduce Him on Thursday Night Revealed

When a legend like Nick Saban takes the mic to introduce Donald Trump at the University of Alabama’s commencement, you know this isn’t your typical graduation speech. Saban, fresh off a record-breaking coaching career, and Trump, ever the showman with a knack for memorable one-liners, shared a moment backstage that had everyone smiling — the president jokingly insisting the coach with 206 wins deserved to go first. But it’s not just nostalgia on the line here; with Kalen DeBoer stepping into the head coach role and carrying the weight of Alabama’s championship legacy, the question hanging over Tuscaloosa might just be: “Can DeBoer navigate the storm, or will the pressure cooker demands force another shakeup?” And as the Tide gears up for the 2025 season opener against Florida State, the stakes couldn’t be higher. So, what’s next for Alabama football when every game feels like a referendum? If nothing else, this unique intersection of sports history and political theater guarantees we’re all watching — and maybe even learning a thing or two about leadership and legacy along the way. LEARN MORE.

Nick Saban introduced President Donald Trump at the University of Alabama’s commencement ceremony Thursday night.

Trump is well-acquainted with Saban, who visited the White House with his team after winning the national championship during Trump’s first term in office. Less than two months before the 2024 election, Trump was in Tuscaloosa with his vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance and other government dignitaries for the Alabama-Georgia football game in late September.

As the keynote speaker tonight, Trump spoke last, following words from Dr. Stuart R. Bell and Saban. Saban was always going to go on stage before Trump, but the president joked that there was one reason in particular he wanted Saban to go first.

Margo Martin, Trump’s special assistant and communications advisor, shared video of Trump backstage telling Saban and Bell that “anybody that won that many games should go first.”

President @realDonaldTrump to Nick Saban and University President Stuart Bell:

“After you, fellas. Anybody that won that many games should go first!” pic.twitter.com/TabzSOFoYJ

— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) May 2, 2025

Saban, who retired following the 2023 season, did win a lot of games in Tuscaloosa, 206 to be exact, though five were vacated. Included in that tally were six national championship victories and nine SEC titles.

“Nick (Saban), what a great coach. Let’s bring him back,” Trump said Thursday. “No, you have a good coach right now, though. You have a good coach right now.”

That coach right now is Kalen DeBoer, who went 9-4 in his first season with the Crimson Tide, ending the year with a loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Needless to say, the pressure will be on DeBoer to deliver better results in 2025.

“I think they’ll win over 9.5. Or win double-digit games,” Urban Meyer said in March, via On3. “The question I have: What happens if they don’t? Will they pull the plug? Is that the kind of school — you know, Ohio State and Florida… Florida’s in a different place now, but there was a time where if you weren’t in that double-digit, it was out. At Ohio State I would imagine that coach (Ryan) Day has bought a little time. Obviously, my God, what are we talking about?

“But as much as I think it’s neat to talk about will it be 9.5, I don’t care. What does Alabama do if they don’t hit it?”

Alabama will open the 2025 season against Florida State on Aug 30.

Related: Video: University Of Alabama Crowd Reaction To President Trump Goes Viral