Nick Saban spent last offseason getting into a war of words with Jimbo Fisher. Is he now taking shots at a fellow Alabama coach?
Saban made an interesting comment while discussing the dismissal of freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell, telling reporters, "There’s no such thing in being at the wrong place at the wrong time."
“You’ve got to be responsible for who you’re with, who you’re around, and what you do, who you associate yourself with, and the situations that you put yourself in," Saban added.
MORE: Why is Brandon Miller still playing after connection to murder case?
Mitchell, a freshman, was arrested on marijuana charges last week, but it has since been revealed that the five-star recruit was also driving 141 mph to evade police and had $7,000 in cash on him.
Nick Saban announces defensive back Tony Mitchell has been suspended following the freshman’s recent arrest.
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) March 20, 2023
Mitchell was a 5-star prospect in the 2023 class.
“There’s no such thing as the wrong place at the wrong time.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/bbXn1Q4dcc
Saban's comments ordinarily wouldn't draw much attention, but Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats was widely criticized for saying his team's standout freshman Brandon Miller was at the “wrong spot at the wrong time" when he allegedly delivered a gun to the scene of a homicide in January.
Former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles was one of two men charged with capital murder in connection with the shooting death of Jamea Harris. Miller was not suspended and remains an active member of the team.
“Can’t control everything anybody does outside of practice,” Oats told reporters after police testimony revealed Miller's involvement in February.
While Oats later apologized, Saban's comments seem to be a direct rebuke to his choice of words — whether intentional or not.
The Tuscaloosa News' Chase Goodbread tweeted Monday that reporters were "affirmatively told" Saban's comments were not a reference to Oats and were only coincidental.
Affirmatively told (among other scribes) that Saban saying there's no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time was not a reference to UA basketball coach Nate Oats. Coincidental.
— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) March 20, 2023
It might be the coincidence of the century that Saban's remarks, whether about being at the wrong place at the wrong time or players being responsible for who they associate themselves with, just happen to run directly against the comments Oats was forced to walk back.