It’s no secret Alabama head coach Nick Saban is a fan of music.

His iPod, “or whatever it is,” is filled with songs from the Rolling Stones, the Eagles Elton John, Michael Jackson and Al Green. But Saban isn’t the diehard fan that friend and former colleague Bill Belichick is, as the head coach of the New England Patriots once followed the Stones on their tour in Europe. Saban, on the other hand, hasn’t reached that level of fandom.

“We went last year when they were in Atlanta, we went to the concert, but I’ve never ever thought about taking the time to do that,” Saban said of the Rolling Stones during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday morning. “But I will say when Bill and I were together in Cleveland, he and I used to sneak out and go see various concerts. We went to see the Eagles, Joe Walsh, Ringo Starr. We’d just kind of sneak out and do it every now and then.”

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He’s carried that love of the Rolling Stones, the Eagles and other groups with him to Tuscaloosa as their songs are played in his Mercedes-Benz to and from work and during commercial breaks of his weekly, hour-long radio show.

Saban didn’t start out liking music. It took a dislike for a certain instrument for him to shift his focus to the gridiron and diamond for him to break free and begin his journey down the path he is still currently on today in Tuscaloosa.

“One of the reasons that I got into sports was my grandma,” Saban said. “Grandma Saban made everybody play the accordion, all the kids, so I used to hate going to lessons, I used to hate practicing until I found out at about nine years old if I played baseball, football … I could get out of taking her lessons. That’s why I got into sports. But I love music now.”

So the accordion is the reason why he’s now coaching at Alabama?

“I think so,” Saban said, “indirectly.”

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