During his first news conference of fall camp, one of the first questions Nick Saban was faced with had to do with a job that was ultimately filled 19 months ago.

In text messages that were released on Friday by Ohio State, former Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said in messages from Jan. 21, 2018 that Alabama had tried to hire former Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith, who ended up being fired in July after a report from Brett McMurphy revealed a history of issues and domestic abuse allegations.

Saban addressed that Saturday morning.

“I think it’s pretty common that sometimes people that get interviewed someplace or someone calls and shows interest in them, it’s the way this profession works is that you go in and use that as leverage to try and improve your situation where you are now, especially if you have a job or you decide that that’s a better opportunity for you,” Saban said. “We talk to a lot of coaches about a lot of things. I really never did ever offer this guy a job."

In the messages to an individual whose name was redacted, Meyer had said, “Zach Smith was offered wr/passing game coord at Alabama. Went there to talk to Saban. At first thought maybe he should go then decided that all effort I’ve put (into) him and it’s Alabama. I told him to stay and he turned it down. Every (expletive) day it’s something."

Saban, according to sources, interviewed Smith and at least two others for that wide receiver coach opening the weekend before hiring Josh Gattis. In addition to Smith, Saban also interviewed current Pittsburgh wide receivers coach Chris Beatty and current Tennessee running backs coach David Johnson that weekend.

While Saban acknowledged interviewing Smith, he indicated that Alabama decided to go in a different direction after going through a vetting process with Smith.

“He did a nice job in the interview,” Saban said. “But it was when we did the background check that we decided that there was a better opportunity to hire somebody else, and that’s what we did.”

Matt Zenitz is an Alabama and Auburn reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz.