Nick Saban found himself in the unfamiliar position of walking through empty halls and past vacant offices at Alabama for much of the summer. His staff and players were forced to isolate in their homes, and Saban was doing his best to adapt to this new reality.
The 69-year-old coach who grew up in the hills of West Virginia was learning how to email, text and videoconference -- whatever it took to stay connected.
He had a program to hold together, one determined to return to the College Football Playoff after falling short the season before but also one dealing with a multitude of disruptions.