Nick Saban is calling it a career. According to Chris Low of ESPN, the legendary Alabama Crimson Tide football head coach informed his team on Wednesday that he is retiring. This comes a little over a week after Alabama lost to Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinals (Rose Bowl).
Saban, 72, is considered by many people as the best coach in college football history. In his career, Saban won seven national championships — a split title with LSU and six with Alabama. In 2023, Saban led Alabama to a 12-2 record and won the SEC for the 11th time in his career.
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Saban was hired as Alabama’s head coach in 2007. In his first season with the Crimson Tide, Saban finished with a 7-6 record (three wins were vacated) and third place in the SEC West. That would be the last time Saban would win less than 10 games in a season with the Crimson Tide, as he would record at least 10 victories from 2009 to 2023. During that time, Saban won the SEC West 10 times and the SEC Championship nine times. Saban led the Crimson Tide to national titles in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2020. He also led the team to national championship appearances in 2016, 2018 and 2021.
Before joining Alabama, Saban was the head coach of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. He only spent two seasons with the Dolphins, posting a 9-7 record in 2005 and a 6-10 record in 2006. Saban took on the challenge of coaching in the NFL after having a successful run with the LSU Tigers football team. During his time at LSU (2000-2004) Saban won the SEC West and the SEC twice and the national championship once.
Saban began his college football head coaching career in 1990, leading Toledo to a 9-2 record. He then joined the NFL’s Cleveland Browns to be the team’s defensive coordinator from 1991 to 1994, and he worked under legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick. Saban then returned to college football and became the head coach of the Michigan State Spartans in 1995. In five seasons, Saban posted a 34-24-1 record, with his best season being in 1999 when he went 9-2 and finished ninth in the Coaches and AP Poll.
Overall, Saban posted a 292-71-1 as a college football head coach. Along with the conference and national titles, Saban was named SEC Coach of the Year five times, won the Paul “Bear Bryant Award twice and was named the Walter Camp Coach of the Year twice.
