Now that Nick Saban has apologized for the comments he made about Jimbo Fisher and Deion Sanders, other coaches are starting to add their two cents to the situation, including Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach.
Lost in all this…
Jimbo Fisher said he’s never been a cheater.
Nick Saban didn’t call him a cheater.
As far as I’m aware, no one has said another school is cheating, just that they’re using NIL differently.
— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) May 19, 2022
According to the Baltimore Sun’s Andy Kostka, Leach texted his thoughts on Thursday’s feud between the two SEC West coaches.
“I’m just watching it unfold,” Leach wrote. “The current state of NIL and the portal is unsustainable though.”
Just got a text from Mike Leach regarding the whole Nick Saban-Jimbo Fisher spat: "I'm just watching it unfold. The current state of NIL and the portal is unsustainable though"
— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) May 19, 2022
Leach has been involved in his share of controversies, but in this situation, at least, he doesn’t have too much to say other than seemingly supporting what Saban has to say about NIL.
The outspoken head coach made headlines in December when he blasted players who skip bowl games, saying “you owe it to your team, you owe it to your fans, you owe it to your coaches and it’s the most bizarre thing in the world to me.”
Several other coaches have said recently there needs to be some kind of reform in college football regarding the transfer portal and NIL.
One of those voices has been Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, who said last month that he thought the process was out of control.
“There’s no rules, no guidance, no nothing. It’s out of control. . . It’s an absolute mess and a train wreck. ”
Swinney has said in the past that he’d quit coaching if players were to be paid. Obviously, he hasn’t done that as of yet. But as more coaches speak up about, and against, the recent changes meant to empower student-athletes, it’s going to put more of a target on their backs whether they like it or not.
Leach might find himself in the same situation too, depending on what else he has to say.
If I was a top recruit I’d be paying EXTRA attention to who thinks it’s outrageous that I should be making money while they make millions off of my free labor.
— Joy Taylor (@JoyTaylorTalks) May 19, 2022
About Stacey Mickles
Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.