FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys are reading to head to training camp after new head coach Brian Schottenheimer initiated a high-energy OTA and minicamp program that has seemed to capture the respect of fans and players.
Media pundits galore still aren't sold about Schotty despite the shock of optimism he's issued so far and his track record of prolific offenses - notably as the Cowboys' offensive coordinator for a top-scoring team that went 12-5.
FS1 loud mouth Colin Cowherd is one of these naysayers, as he so typically is on his daily broadcast spot reserved for "America's Team" talk ... which is often in the form of harsh criticism and mockery.
Mr. Cowherd went back to well that is the Cowboys and their polarizing popularity to address other recent news in the coaching world involving Alabama legend Nick Saban.
There were reports out of SEC media days that suggest Saban - who retired from coaching not long ago to take a seat on ESPN's College Gameday - could be getting back on the sidelines.
Cowherd agreed, but acknowledged that Saban likely won't go back to the college ranks. This much of his argument is conceivable.
Saban left 'Bama after a historic seven-time national championship career as one of the best coaches college has ever seen. That departure was largely because he saw the writing on the wall of a changing game. Not in between the lines, but on the recruiting trail.
With the advent of name, image, and likeness capabilities, schools have kindled relationships with mega donors to set up collectives and essentially buy top recruits, something Saban (allegedly) isn't keen on, so he got out before things got too crazy.
This much is fine, the college landscape had caught up to the old-school coach. That happens. Everything has since seemed fine with ESPN as Saban is a natural analyst and growing entertainer when he shields his no-nonsense persona for TV ...
But this new rumor suggests he's missing something.
He could very well come back, but yes, likely not in college. The last few months have proven that NIL is running rampant on team spending in the most toxic way possible.
Saban might then decide make a return to the NFL instead.
And here comes Cowherd, you guessed it, wildly predicting that Saban will be the next coach of the Cowboys.
"He could come in there and go into a place that's set up for a strong coach."@colincowherd and @AlbertBreer discuss the possibility of Nick Saban returning to coaching... for the Dallas Cowboys pic.twitter.com/so0JaInCji
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 16, 2025
"[Saban] got a little itch ... but Brian Schottenheimer is over his skiis and Jerry Jones says 'I don't want one of these NFL egos,'" Cowherd begins. "You know what Jerry likes to do. He likes to hire guys where they feel like they owe him a little. And Jerry could go to Saban and go, 'Okay, this Schottenheimer thing doesn't work ... I need a guy who knows college personnel.'"
Staying current here, Colin is rambling about a hypothetical that Schottenheimer struggles in Year 1 in 2025. That's fine, and not a pedestrian take. But it's pretty bold to predict that Jones would dump the head coach without any further chance beyond a season to prove his worth. The only universe where that could seem plausible is one where the Cowboys go 3-14 or worse ... and this team has way too much talent for that to happen.
Cowherd continues: "I'm just saying, Dallas ... but if you're talking about a guy - just ego, best college coach ever, absolute five-star analyst on TV, he's not challenged, he's still useful, sharp as a tack. The Dallas Cowboys call, he's not taking that call?"
Now remember, a call is different than a hiring.
Sure, Dallas may make a call to inquire - again, only in that ugly losing scenario - and Saban would be dumb not to answer, that much is understandable and almost believable.
But if the argument is about Dallas actually hiring him ... and Cowherd mentions "NFL egos" ... how is The Nick Saban Ego any different? As a guy who may think he can turn into the best coach ever in the NFL too, and now has foray into national television that inflates his moxy...
He is exactly what Colin listed him as regarding a Hall of Fame coach and celebrity sports figure, but while this idea is very "marketing-driven" like the Joneses tend to be, it's simply not realistic if the goal is to be competitive in the modern NFL.
Saban has skins on the wall in the pros, but he earned his legacy in college. He had the wherewithal to leave the college game when things strayed from his comfort zone ... and don't you think that would be a thought for the NFL, also? He's already done it once when he relegated himself down to college.
Things in the NFL today aren't like how they used to be when Saban was coaching the 6-10 Miami Dolphins 20 years ago. Saban is smart enough to know that.
And Jerry may know this just as much in his hiring of Schottenheimer, a relatively young offensive-minded play-caller with familiarity and experience in knowing how the game has evolved in recent decades.
The two sides might talk, but if the Cowboys were to ever have this hunch, hiring Saban is a ploy more on extracurriculars than actually finding the best coaching fit for the roster.
Cowherd's on-air guest Albert Breer did well in speaking objectively over this discussion by mentioning how the "spotlight factor" of Saban preferring to go to a flagship franchise would be most appealing, but also the most difficult factor for Jones in how he would have to take a back seat to someone just as "powerful" in the eyes of the camera lens.
That makes you go back to questioning why Jerry would ever make that decision in the first place.
Nonetheless, Cowherd's rant is simply summarized as another way-too-early prediction that Schottenheimer won't succeed. The rumor about Saban's return is interesting, but it shouldn't be something worth investigating after Schotty's debut if all goes according to plan at The Star.
Schottenheimer, Jones and the Cowboys head to Oxnard this weekend and while they'll keep their heads down and focus on improving the team, this bit from Cowherd is the latest in his effort to drag Dallas with insane hypotheticals that - hopefully - people aren't taking too seriously.
