Nick Saban retires: Seven-time national championship-winning coach, 72, exits Alabama after 17 seasons

Alabama coach Nick Saban, 72, has decided to retire, ending a run that ranks among the greatest in college football history, the school announced on Wednesday. The seven-time national championship-winning coach leaves the game having spent his last 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide.

Saban informed the Tide of his decision in a team meeting Wednesday, where he cited age and health concerns as the reasoning behind calling it quits, according to 247Sports. Alabama was eliminated in the 2023 College Football Playoff semifinal, ending its season with a 27-20 overtime loss to eventual national champion Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me,” Saban said in a statement. “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.”

Saban’s seven national titles — one at LSU (2003) and six at Alabama (2009, 2011-12, 2015, 2017, 2020), the latter total matching legendary Tide coach Paul “Bear” Bryant — stand as the most in the sport’s history. He is the only coach to win national championships across three decades as well as the only coach since the inception of the AP Top 25 in 1936 to win national championships with two separate FBS programs.

Saban, known for his stern coaching style and confident yet fiery approach, also…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/nick-saban-retires-seven-time-national-championship-winning-coach-72-exits-alabama-after-17-seasons/

Author : Chip Patterson

Publish date : 2024-01-11 02:35:34

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