Alabama football coach Nick Saban says Nancy Pelosi 'probably has a more important job than me'

• The college football coach Nick Saban, 69, said age is not a problem for him.
• In an interview with The New York Times, Saban compared himself to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
• "I don't think of age as an issue," Saban said. "I mean, how old's Nancy Pelosi?"

With six national championships under his belt, the University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban gaveled in on his age in a New York Times interview published on Monday.

"You've won more championships than anyone. You'll turn 70 on Halloween. You've got grandkids. But you just signed a contract extension. Why are you still doing this?" the Times reporter Alan Blinder asked Saban.

Saban, a terse tactician who normally goes out of his way to remain apolitical, went in an unexpected direction.

"I enjoy what I do. I like the challenge. I'm not a sit-around, do-nothing kind of guy. I like to be involved in things, I like challenges," he said.

He added: "I don't want to stay here beyond my years and ride the program down. So as long as I feel like I can make a contribution in a positive way, to continue to have a great program for the players and that that's helping them be successful and we have an opportunity to be successful because of that, I don't think of age as an issue.

"I mean, how old's Nancy Pelosi?"

Read more: Pelosi and Trump used a fraudulent trick to raise money - and a guy faces 20 years in prison partly for doing the same thing

"She's older," Blinder said of the 81-year-old Democratic House speaker.

"Yeah. Way older," Saban replied. "Older than me, and probably has a more important job than me."

Pelosi is in charge of ensuring that bills pass the House with enough of her members in line to guarantee a floor vote. She also plays a role in recruiting Democratic candidates.

Saban also dedicates time to recruitment, but that's about where the overlap ends.

Saban, the highest-paid public employee in Alabama, earned $9.3 million in 2020. Pelosi, the second in line to the presidency behind the vice president, earns $223,500 annually.

"Anyway," Saban continued in the Times interview, "as long as I feel like I can make a positive contribution in a positive way and do good things for the people in this organization, mainly the players, I enjoy doing this."