Alabama coach Nick Saban ‘RETIRES after incredible 17-year tenure in charge of the Crimson Tide’ which saw 72-year-old win SIX national titles
Nick Saban is reportedly retiring after 17 years as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The 72-year-old has won six national titles since taking over in 2007.
But Alabama was defeated by Michigan in the Rose Bowl earlier this month and now it is too ESPN Saban has decided to retire in an absolutely seismic move.
Alabama has yet to confirm the decision.
Saban is the highest-paid college football coach ever and had signed a new contract with Alabama in 2022 worth $93.6 million over eight seasons.
Oregon’s Dan Lanning is expected to be Alabama’s top target to replace Saban, according to the Action network.
Nick Saban is reportedly withdrawing from Alabama in a major shakeup for college football
Saban won six national championships at the school and also claimed 11 SEC crowns
His reported decision to retire comes after Alabama lost to Michigan in the Rose Bowl
ESPN’s Chris Low told the Paul Finebaum show that Saban would never give himself a “victory tour” on Wednesday and announce his retirement before one final season.
Still, he has plenty to celebrate after a college coaching career with 297 wins (and an 80.6 winning percentage) to his name.
Saban’s first head coaching job was at Toledo in 1990 before serving as the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator from 1991 to 1994.
He then returned to the college ranks in 1995 as head coach of Michigan State before taking on the same role at LSU beginning with the 2000 season.
He certainly made his impact in his five seasons in Louisiana, winning his first national championship in 2003.
Saban later had an unsuccessful stint as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, going 15-17 over two seasons before returning to the college ranks again in 2007 at Alabama.
It took him just three seasons to win his first league title there in 2009, as his teams would win three of the next four championships, including that year.
Saban spent five seasons at LSU and led the school to a national championship in 2003
He then coached the Dolphins for two seasons, but posted only a 15-17 record
Saban, then the head coach of Michigan State, shakes hands with Penn State’s Joe Paterno
He would capture three more national titles in 2015, 2017 and 2020, while also losing a total of three times in the national championship.
Saban won 11 SEC titles in his 17 seasons at Alabama.
However, his influence was (and still is) felt in the NFL as well, as he helped produce 44 first-round picks at Alabama, according to ESPN.
Stars who have played under Saban include Jalen Hurts, Josh Jacobs, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Amari Cooper, Derrick Henry, Tua Tagovailoa and many more.
The news came as a shock to Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who commented on X, “WOW! College Football just lost its GOAT to retirement. WOW! I knew it would happen 1 day soon, but not that fast. The game has changed so much that it chased away the GOAT. College football, let’s hold up our mirrors and HONESTLY say what you see.”