Nick Saban retiring as Alabama football coach
Alabama football coach Nick Saban is retiring after 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide, CBS Sports reported.
Saban has won seven national titles in his coaching career, the most recent in 2020.
Saban's retirement was first reported by ESPN. Sources later confirmed to 247sports' Matt Zenitz that Saban informed Alabama of his decision on Wednesday. Saban and Alabama confirmed the retirement Wednesday night.
"The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me," Saban said in a statement released by the university. "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."
Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne said in a statement, "Simply put, Nick Saban is one of the greatest coaches of all time, in any sport, and The University of Alabama is fortunate to have had him leading our football program for the past 17 seasons."
"While his time as our coach may have come to an end, his legacy will live on forever," Byrne said. "What an honor it has been for us to have a front-row seat to one of the best to ever do it. A truly remarkable career for Coach Saban."
The Crimson Tide were eliminated from the 2023 College Football Playoff with a 27-20 overtime loss to the eventual national champion Michigan Wolverines in a semifinal game.
Saban's seven national titles are the most won by any college football coach. He is also tied with legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant for most titles in Crimson Tide history, with six.
"Words cannot adequately express our appreciation to Coach Saban for his exemplary leadership and service to The University of Alabama over the past 17 years," Alabama President Stuart R. Bell said in a statement. "His commitment to excellence has set the standard for our program, both on the field and in the classroom. We are grateful for the lasting impact he has made on the lives of our student-athletes and the incredible memories his teams have created for our students, alumni, fans and supporters."
After coaching stints with both the NFL and several other college teams, the first of Saban's titles came in 2003 with Louisiana State University, where he was head coach from 2000-2004. Following the 2004 season, a 9-3 campaign that included a 30-25 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Capital One Bowl, Saban left LSU to coach the Miami Dolphins in the NFL.
Saban coached the Dolphins for just two seasons, going 9-7 in 2005 but managing just six wins in 2006 — missing the playoffs both years. Saban left the Dolphins at the end of the 2006 season to become the head football coach at Alabama, which hadn't won a national title since 1992.
In his 17 years helming the Crimson Tide, Saban built a football powerhouse, winning the national title in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020. He also amassed 9 SEC titles at Alabama and coached four Heisman Trophy winners.
Following the Crimson Tide's semifinal loss this past season, the 72-year-old coach said, "This is one of the most amazing seasons in Alabama football history in terms of where this team came from, what they were able to accomplish and what they were able to do, winning the SEC Championship, and really, really proud of this group," according to The Associated Press. "I just wish that I could have done more as a coach to help them be successful and help them finish, and all we can do now is learn from the lessons that sometimes failings bring to us."