ATLANTA — Nick Saban began his session at SEC media days by lamenting the fact that when he’s on vacation, he’s the prisoner of his wife’s to-do list — sweep, mop, take out the garbage. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin showed up for his session proudly open-collared and without a tie, even though every other coach has always worn one.
These are men who crave control in every phase of their lives, not just their work. In the vast new landscape of NIL, they’re seeing the limits of their control, and they’re fighting back against their dwindling influence.