Nick Saban was in the stands at Coleman Coliseum taking in Nate Oats’ Crimson Tide basketball team’s final game of the year against South Dakota State. As The Tuscaloosa News’ Emilee Smarr pointed out, that meant Saban wasn’t with Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff preparing for the ReliaQuest Bowl.

“Crimson Tide legends were among the stands to support Alabama basketball on Sunday,” Smarr wrote.

“Retired Alabama football coach Nick Saban was seen all smiles alongside wife, Miss Terry, as the No. 6 Crimson Tide wrapped up its non-conference schedule against South Dakota State with a 105-82 win.

“One might figure Saban would be on the sidelines with Kalen DeBoer and company as UA football prepares to face Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. After all, Tampa is a bit closer to Saban’s Jupiter residence than Tuscaloosa.”

Saban has a well-documented friendship with Oats, explaining his presence in Tuscaloosa Sunday. Two days out from a ReliaQuest Bowl rematch with Michigan, the Crimson Tide faithful want to know that Saban still has a hand in the football program. A 9-3 season with losses to six-win teams like Vanderbilt and Oklahoma has just about all of them missing Saban.

But Saban has made it clear he wants to let DeBoer run his program how he sees fit and not get too involved.

“I do think this is a tough transition for Kalen,” Saban said on The Pat McAfee Show in October. “Any time you take over a successful program — I don’t want to be judgmental about what they do, because I feel like he has to do what he does his way. He can’t be me. He can’t try to be somebody that he isn’t. I think there’s more than one way to skin a cat, and I actually the guy has been successful and I think his way will work.

“I think it’s an adjustment for a lot of fans and the people. But I think he’ll win them over because he’s a good guy and he’s a good coach. He’s got a good system, a good organization. I’m just trying to be supportive and helpful any way that I can so he can make a smooth transition.”

DeBoer could build a lot of goodwill if his Alabama team can get sweet revenge on a Michigan team that looks much different than the one that beat them in last year’s Rose Bowl.