Brian Kelly reveals reaction to Nick Saban retirement

Brian Kelly and Nick Saban were rivals, there's no doubt about it. That's what happens when one is the head coach at LSU and the other is at Alabama.

One can't help but hear the respect Kelly has for the recently retired Saban, though. Speaking on "The Paul Finebaum" show about the day the legendary head coach announced his retirement, Kelly revealed that he had just been on a Zoom call with Saban earlier that day.

“First of all, I was surprised,” Kelly said of Saban's announcement (h/t On3). “We were on a Zoom call the day that he made the announcement and it was business as usual. But that’s Nick, right? Never is he a guy that is going to take the easy way. I mean he’s going to work right up until the last second.”

It was a work call, meaning that Saban was working on the day he retired. He worked right until the very end.

If that's not one of the many anecdotes that explain why Saban is a legend, what else would be?

You don't win seven championships (one for LSU) by taking days off, and Saban was so dedicated to his craft that he didn't even kick his feet up on the day he announced he was hanging up his boots.

"He is the standard of what everybody is trying to achieve, and that is incredible consistency at the highest level, championships,” Kelly said of Saban. “He’s done it with class and distinction and he set the bar.”

That's legendary stuff.