Nick Saban, who won seven national college football championships -- six at Alabama -- has decided to retire.
Saban, 72, just completed his 17th season at Alabama, ESPN reported. In addition to his six titles at Alabama, Saban also won a national crown at LSU in 2003. His career also included stops at Toledo and Michigan State.
Saban confirms retirement
Update 7:55 p.m. EST Jan. 10: The university confirmed Saban’s retirement at 6:39 p.m. CST in a statement, two hours after ESPN first reported the news.
Saban also confirmed the news in a statement obtained by AL.com.
“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,” Saban said. “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.”
University of Alabama President Stuart R. Bell praised Saban for his “exemplary leadership and service” to the university in a statement.
“His commitment to excellence has set the standard for our program, both on the field and in the classroom,” Bell said. “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.”
Original report: Saban compiled a 297-71-1 record in 28 seasons, including a 206-29 mark at Alabama, according to Sports-Reference.com.
Saban has coached four Heisman Trophy winners -- Mark Ingram II in 2009, Derrick Henry in 2015, DeVonta Smith in 2020 and Bryce Young in 2021, according to The Athletic. He won 11 Southeastern Conference championships, including nine at Alabama.
Saban has coached the Tide to eight playoff appearances in the 10 years of the College Football Playoff format.
His latest squad at Alabama went 12-2, knocked off two-time defending national champion Georgia in the Southeastern Conference title game. The Tide then lost a 27-20 overtime game in the College Football Playoff semifinals to eventual national champion Michigan.
Saban had a 16-7 record in bowl games, The Athletic reported.
Saban’s seven national championship wins since 1998 are more than double the amount of any other head coach, according to ESPN. Urban Meyer is next with three, followed by Kirby Smart and Dabo Swinney with two each.
Saban also coached in the NFL, serving as defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns from 1991 to 1994. He was also the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, where he compiled a 15-17 record from 2005 to 2006, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.
After going 7-6 in his first season at Alabama, Saban’s teams won at least 10 games for the next 16 years, AL.com reported.
Saban, a native of Fairmont, West Virginia, is tied with Paul “Bear” Bryant for the most national titles in Alabama history, according to The Tuscaloosa News.
Saban was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. He is a five-time SEC Coach of the Year, two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year, two-time AP College Football Coach of the Year and two-time Paul “Bear” Bryant Award winner, according to The Athletic.
Retirement did not appear to be in the cards late last year. He told ESPN in November, “I’ve always said that if you’re thinking about retirement, you’re probably already retired, and I’m not there yet.”