Nick Saban isn’t a cranky, wisened college football coach; he just plays one in Vrbo ads.

More than a year after stepping away from the University of Alabama and a career that spanned nearly half a century, Saban kicks off the 2024 college football season by turning a sports marketing caricature of his on-field and press conference persona into one of the few things more intimidating than a head coach: a vacation property host.

As Vrbo’s property-renting competitors try to sell the folksy comforts of having a host on-site, Saban—in a Crimson Tide straw hat—reminds travelers that those present property owners often have playbooks that relegate guests’ needs to the sidelines.