Alabama football coach Nick Saban is retiring after 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide, CBS Sports reports.
Saban has won seven national titles in his coaching career, most recently 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 for Terry and me,” Saban said in a statement released by the university. “I have enjoyed every minute of my 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as being a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It’s not just about how many games we won and how many we lost, but it’s about the legacy And that’s how we grew. We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, become the best players they can and be more successful in life because They were part of the program. Hopefully, we did that, and we’ll always call Alabama our home.”
“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 him lead our football program for the past 17 seasons,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said in a statement. Is.” ,
“Although his time as our coach has come to an end, his legacy will live on forever,” Byrne said. “What an honor it is for us to have a front row seat to one of the best players of all time. This is 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 the 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 with six titles in Crimson Tide history.
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“Words cannot 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 had on the lives of our student-athletes and the incredible memories his teams have created for us. ” Students, alumni, fans and supporters.”
After coaching stints in the NFL and with several other college teams, Saban’s first title came in 2003 with Louisiana State University, where he was the head coach from 2000–2004. After 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 only two seasons, going 9–7 in 2005 but managing only 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 had not won a national title since 1992.
In his 17 years leading the Crimson Tide, Saban built a football powerhouse, winning national titles in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020. He also captured 9 SEC titles at Alabama and coached four Heisman Trophy winners.
After the Crimson Tide’s semifinal loss last season, the 72-year-old coach said, “This is one of the most amazing seasons in Alabama football history, where this team came from, what they were able to accomplish and what they did.” According to the press, he was able to win the SEC Championship, and is really, really proud of this group. “I just wish I could do more as a coach to help them succeed and help them finish. could work, and now we can only learn from the lessons that failures sometimes bring us.”
