UPDATE: Saban released a statement:
The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me. We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
It's a bittersweet day for college football fans. University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban has told his team that he is retiring. The 72-year-old leaves the sport as one of the most legendary coaches in college football history, with seven national championships under his belt — six of them with Bama.
"Saban, 72, just completed his 17th season at Alabama, which ended in a loss to eventual national champion Michigan in the Rose Bowl. In 17 seasons, he won 201 games — tied with Vince Dooley (Georgia) for the second-most wins at a single school in SEC history, behind only Bear Bryant, who won 232 games in his 25 seasons with Alabama," ESPN reports.
Sources told the network's Chris Low that Saban informed the Crimson Tide of his intentions on Wednesday. The news is bitter because it's the end of an era; no doubt Alabama fans everywhere are sad. It's sweet because such a dominant coach will no longer be a force in NCAA football.
In over a quarter of a century as a college head coach — a whopping 28 seasons — Saban never had a losing record. Of course, that includes a pair of .500 seasons at Michigan State University in 1996 and 1998. His record includes seven national championships, 12 conference championships, and 19 bowl victories, and he coached four Heisman Trophy winners, including back-to-back winners in 2019 and 2020.
"Saban was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2013," report Bruce Feldman, Chris Vannini, and Kennington Smith III at The Athletic. "He’s a five-time SEC Coach of the Year, two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year, two-time AP College Football Coach of the Year, and two-time Paul 'Bear' Bryant Award winner, among numerous other accolades."
The news was a surprise to many. Saban told ESPN in November, "I've always said that if you're thinking about retirement, you're probably already retired, and I'm not there yet."
[Somewhat] Related: Can the Crimson Tide Get Its Athletic Scandals Under Control?
Tributes poured in from all over the sports world:
NICK SABAN, GREATEST OF ALL TIME!
— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) January 10, 2024
HAPPY RETIREMENT, COACH! pic.twitter.com/JXdOOo910H
Congratulations to Nick Saban on a Hall of Fame Coaching Career. He is the Greatest College Football Coach of All-Time and has impacted the game of football in an immeasurable way. Be where your feet are and enjoy retirement Coach, you earned it. pic.twitter.com/sODI1vn54H
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 10, 2024
Greg McElroy reacts to Nick Saban’s retirement:
— Sidelines - Bama (@SSN_Alabama) January 10, 2024
(via @AlwaysCFB) pic.twitter.com/A2KxPIxRmj
"Saban did it his own way which was really the only way it could be done at @AlabamaFTBL."@finebaum on the legacy of Nick Saban 🐐 pic.twitter.com/iQDSy3sz3i
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 10, 2024
Will go to my grave smiling ear to ear that Kirby’s Dawgs beat him once when it mattered the most.
— Logan Booker (@LoganMBooker) January 10, 2024
Enjoy retirement, 🐐
There will never be another coach like #NickSaban. I wish him the best in retirement, but as a @UGAAthletics fan, I can breathe much easier when we play Bama.
— Chris Queen (@ChrisQueen) January 10, 2024
What's next for the Crimson Tide?
"This is one of — if not the — best job in college football, coming off the longest stretch of sustained success in the modern era of the sport," Vannini writes. "With that will come immense resources and the highest of expectations. Potential coaches to watch for the job include Oregon coach Dan Lanning, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, Washington coach Kalen DeBoer, Florida State coach Mike Norvell, among others. There will be no shortage of interest in the job."
"The attention turns to who Alabama will choose to succeed the greatest coach of all time, but Alabama’s roster is worth an equal amount of attention," Smith adds. "The Crimson Tide’s post-College Football Playoff transfer portal window just closed on Monday night. As a result of Saban’s retirement, another window will open for 30 days. To date, Alabama has 17 transfer portal entries between scholarship players and walk-ons."
Wednesday night brought a big surprise to sports fans. While a lot of fans will mourn the hole that Saban is leaving in the world of college football, plenty of coaches are getting ready to claim the mantle of the "next Nick Saban." College football just got a lot more interesting.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member