Shane Gillis reveals behind-the-scenes tension with Nick Saban after College GameDay appearance

Comedian Shane Gillis insisted that the tension between him and Nick Saban got heated behind the scenes, at least from the legendary coach’s side.

In December, the standup comic was a guest picker on College GameDay and began comedically bantering with Saban on air.

However, it turned out that the former Alabama coach was not fond of Gillis’ antics on set, and it carried on behind the cameras.

On the latest edition of Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast with Matt McCusker, Gillis revealed that Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit encouraged the banter. Earlier in the program, he jokingly accused Saban of cheating during his time with the Crimson Tide, but Saban did not take it lightly.

‘After I said that, we had to go into the stadium to sit at the desk,’ Gillis began. ‘He wasn’t with us when I said it the first time, so then I got in there, and right before we go on, he looks at me, and he’s like, ‘I heard what you said.”

‘And I was like, ‘Holy s***.”

‘I never would have done that if I thought he was serious,’ But I thought he was f***ing around, so I started f***ing around with him.

‘As soon as we get done, I tell Herbstreit and McAfee, I’m like, ‘Bro, he was definitely serious.’

To add to the cheating jokes, Gillis trolled Saban over his hat, calling him ‘Alabama Jones’ on set. He then continued to share how Saban’s tense reactions continued after.

‘I went up to him, and he said, ‘You think the SEC dominated because we cheated? That’s bulls***,” he narrated before bursting into laughter.

‘He was still on the stage, and I was on the field, so after he yelled at me, I had to help him down,’ Gillis continued. ‘And he looked around to see if anybody else could help him, but I had to help him down.’

Saban won a national championship with LSU and six with Alabama before retiring from coaching at the top of 2024. He then joined ESPN as a college football analyst.