Nick Saban Grows A Beard -- Your Move, Belichick

Well, well, well…it looks like NWO Nick Saban has entered the chat. 

Buried inside a 4th of July photo gallery posted on Instagram by Nick's daughter, Kristen, is a photo of Bad Boy Nick that has the Internet talking. That's Kristen sitting with dad, 72, who seems to be enjoying this retirement life after spending pretty much his entire life getting ready for another football season. 

"A few months away from the game and he looks 10 years younger," a Bama writer noted of the NWO era Nick.

Stop and think about what we're seeing this summer out of Saban and Bad Boy Bill Belichick, who is dating 24-year-old cheerleader Jordon Hudson. Both legends of the game are 72 years old and living like they're 25 again. 

Bill's wearing a matching ring with his girlfriend. Saban is foot fouling in cornhole with a fat cheek of what one would assume is chaw. Scroll through the 4th of July photos until you get to the 6th slide. 

Bearded Bad Boy Nick with a huge chaw playing bags in a garage like he's 27 & got called into a match after putting in 12 hours working on gas lines. It's beautiful. 

In August, Nick will go out on the road with ESPN Gameday for the fall where he'll serve as an analyst. He won't have to manage college kids. He can golf on Mondays –– or get together with fellas to play bags. Or watch film. 

What we're seeing out of Saban is how you dream of retirement. He's loaded. He left his legacy. He has a great family. They seem to get along and he's willing to invite many of them to his lake house. 

He saw the Rolling Stones this summer

He's smiling and playing with grandchildren. 

"Never would I have imagined that on a random Tuesday in the middle of the day, I get to hang out with my dad. Retirement is bliss," Kristen Saban said about her father in February

It's not bad to be Bad Boy Nick Saban right now.  

Written by
Joe Kinsey is the Senior Director of Content of OutKick and the editor of the Morning Screencaps column that examines a variety of stories taking place in real America. Kinsey is also the founder of OutKick’s Thursday Night Mowing League, America’s largest virtual mowing league. Kinsey graduated from University of Toledo.