Tide’s Saban tests positive for virus, will miss Iron Bowl
face its biggest rival Saturday at Bryant-Denny StadiThe Iron Bowl will be um without the 69-year-old, without its biggest star. six-time national champion
No. 1 Alabama’s iconic coach. Offensive coordinacoach Nick Saban tested tor Steve Sarkisian, a forpositive for COVID-19 just mer head coach at USC and before the Washington, will oversee game with preparations within the No. 22 Aufootball building and lead burn. Since the team on game day. he was exSaban said he has had a periencing runny nose, but no major mild sympsymptoms. When he tested toms, it appositive ahead of the game pears there won’t be a false with Georgia, he didn’t have positive reprieve for Saban any symptoms. Saban ended like there was last month up being cleared to coach in before another huge game that game after subsequent against Georgia. tests leading up to the game
Team physician Dr. Jimcame back negative. my Robinson and head This time appears differtrainer Jeff Allen said in a ent. joint statement that the pos“It was a PCR test which itive test came Wednesday. was different than the false
“He has very mild symppositive that I had before,” toms, so this test will not be Saban said on the Southeastcategorized as a potential ern Conference coaches telefalse positive,” the stateconference. “I don’t really ment said. “He will follow all have any cardinal signs of appropriate guidelines and the virus right now. I don’t isolate at home.”
The Crimson Tide is set to
have a fever, no loss of taste or smell, no fatigue, no muscle aches.
“I informed the team this morning at 10 on a zoom call. I’m the only person in the whole organization who tested positive this round.”
Saban will still run meetings and monitor practice via zoom at home like he did ahead of the Georgia game. Sarkisian will still call offensive plays during the game, but Saban said other details were still to be ironed out.
“Last time I did this for three days, I absolutely did everything from home that I did in the office,” Saban said. “I just did it on zoom.”
Saban said he has no idea how he got the virus, and it wasn’t immediately clear if anybody else within the program will be affected because of close contact. Saban believes that’s unlikely “based on how we manage things internally in the building.”
“I’m around nobody. I mean, I go home and I go to the office,” Saban said. “I have no idea. Now, there are some people in and out of our house on occasion, but I have no idea how this happened. We really practice social tracing, social distancing, all the things that we need to do to be safe.”