Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is reportedly in line for the head coaching job at Georgia. That is fantastic news for him, although nothing had been made official by the time Alabama head coach Nick Saban stepped in front of the podium for his weekly press availability in Tuscaloosa. Saban can have a bit of a short fuse when questions are thrown his way, and this week was no different when asked about Smart’s future. Saban got so annoyed with the question, he instructed the media to address their questions to the bottle of Coca-Cola that stands on the podium every time Saban steps to the microphone.
“Everybody’s focused on what we’re doing for the game. The coaches really are about the players and I think the players care about the coaches. And if you really care about the coaches and you know a guy’s done a great job and he’s worked real hard to create another opportunity for himself, you oughta be happy for him. You shouldn’t be worried about it, you shouldn’t be concerned about it… I think the players kind of get it and I think everybody’s zeroed in on what we have to do on Saturday.”
Saban then lectured the media and instructed them to not ask him any more questions about Smart’s possible next gig. That is when he got real heated about the subject and said the media would get more out of asking questions to a bottle of Coca-Cola than they will manage to get from him.
For those unaware, that bottle of Coke is placed strategically on Saban’s podium every time he is scheduled to meet the press. He never takes a sip or even touches the bottle, but there have been times when he will take a sip from a bottle of Dasani water. Dasani is a Coke-owned product, just for the record.
