Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban is reportedly retiring, per ESPN’s Chris Low. Alabama reached the College Football Playoff semifinal this season, where they fell to eventual champion Michigan in overtime. Saban made Alabama into the college football powerhouse of the 21st century. His role in the creation of some of the most iconic and talented teams in recent history will certainly be his legacy, as will the extensive coaching tree of successful coordinators and coaches who came up under Saban.
Nick Saban is retiring, sources tell ESPN. He won six national titles at Alabama.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) January 10, 2024
Saban has been coaching at Alabama since 2007. He won six national championships in Tuscaloosa and a seventh as the head coach of LSU.
Saban’s career began at Kent State, and he worked his way up through Power Five programs in the 1970s and 1980s before landing the Toledo head coaching gig in 1990. He had multiple stints in the pros, as the defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns and the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
He ran the Michigan State program between the years of 1995 and 1999 after his Cleveland stint, and moved south to LSU between 2000 and 2004. After three seasons in Miami, he stepped into his most iconic role — head coach of the University of Alabama.
Saban is widely considered to be among the greatest college coaches of all time. Aside from the seven national titles, Saban’s teams won 11 SEC championships and one MAC championship. He is 297-71-1 as a head coach.