Alabama appears to continue pursuit of Saban

DAVIE, Fla. – Alabama renewed its courtship of Dolphins coach Nick Saban on Monday, and he declined to say whether he’ll remain with Miami.

“I’ve got a rule that I’m not talking about any of that stuff,” Saban said.

At a 25-minute, day-after-the-season news conference, Saban tried to limit the conversation to the Dolphins’ disappointing year and off-season issues. But the biggest issue is whether they’ll need a new coach.

The Birmingham News reported on its Web site Monday that Alabama athletic director Mal Moore left Tuscaloosa on a plane Monday headed for a Miami area airport. The News and other newspapers reported that Alabama was prepared to offer Saban a seven-year deal that would make him college football’s highest-paid coach.