This will fire up the rumor mill, won't it?
A member of the Texas Board of Regents said that he met with Jimmy Sexton, the agent for Alabama coach Nick Saban, in January after the Crimson Tide's victory over Notre Dame in the BCS Championship.
[Related: Saban says he's too old to take another job]
Regent Wallace Hall says he spoke by telephone with Saban's agent, Jimmy Sexton, a few days after the Jan. 7 BCS championship game. Tom Hicks, a former regent, also was on the call with Sexton.
It was not clear who initiated the meeting. Sexton did not return a call seeking comment.
After talking to Saban, Hall approached current Texas coach Mack Brown about retiring according to the AP. Brown declined, and the matter "was dropped." Also in on the call, according to Hall, was former Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks, who was on the board when Brown was hired in 1997.
Brown's future has been at the center of much discussion with the Longhorns' dismal 1-2 start and porous run defense. Brown fired defensive coordinator Manny Diaz after the Longhorns gave up 550 yards on the ground against BYU in a 40-21 loss. Against Ole Miss under new defensive coordinator Greg Robinson, Texas gave up 278 yards on the ground while losing 44-23 at home.
[Related: Would bidding war entice Nick Saban to defect to Texas?]
Saban, the winner of three of the last four BCS title games at Alabama, would certainly be Texas' dream hire. Before the Texas A&M game, a certain famous SEC radio host tweeted a joke linking Saban to Texas. Are we past the joke phase? Would Saban consider leaving Alabama?
Who knows. Texas would certainly have to pony up a substantial amount higher than his current $5.3 million dollar salary. They could do it, though this may be more of a scenario of wishful thinking rather than one of realism.
And is it the wishful thinking of one man? Texas booster Joe Jamail told the AP in reference to people wanting Brown out of a job that, "If there are any more, get ready for a lawsuit. Mack has publicly stated he wants to coach."
[Related: Texas AD offers his continued support for Mack Brown]
You can also expect a hasty "no comment" when this comes up at Saban's next press availability. The bet here is there's much more smoke than fire, too.
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