Nick Saban Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a tough year for the Alabama Crimson Tide athletic department with some Alabama basketball players involved in the murder of Jamea Harris and a recent gambling scandal involving the baseball team. It hasn’t been easy for athletic director Greg Byrne, but he’s had someone to lean on: Nick Saban.

This week, Greg Byrne revealed that Nick Saban has been giving him a helping hand as he deals with the issues from the past several months.

Byrne recalled recently when he called an athletics staff meeting and asked Saban to give a speech.

“I said [to Saban], ‘I’d love for you to say something.’ He said, ‘Absolutely, I’d love to say something.’ Think about the corporations that bring Nick Saban in to talk. It’d be irresponsible on our part if we didn’t take advantage of that as a department at times, and we have,” Byrne said during an appearance on The Next Round according to On3.

Byrne said that Saban’s speech went over so well that it was tough to speak after him.

“He got up and did a great job talking to everybody. Then, I follow him and it was like — Gosh, following Nick Saban is not what you want to do,” Byrne said.

It’s clear that Saban means a lot to Byrne and the Alabama athletic program beyond just winning football games.

“I feel so fortunate, even when I get that no caller ID, that I’m working with this guy. I’m working with one of the greatest coaches of all time in any sport. I get a chance to learn from him, and it’s amazing, he listens to me,” Byrne said.

[On3]