Nick Saban announces his retirement after 17 seasons, 6 national titles at Alabama

Nick Saban sent shockwaves through the college football world on Wednesday with his surprise retirement after 17 seasons and 6 national championships as the head coach at Alabama. Saban won 292 total games as a collegiate head coach, with previous stints at LSU (2000-04), Michigan State (1995-99) and Toledo (1990), winning his first of seven national titles with the Tigers in 2003, and also coached the NFL’s Miami Dolphins for two seasons (2005-06).

The Tide played in a bowl game every season under Saban and starting with his second season in Tuscaloosa, he never won less than 10 games. His eight CFP appearances is the most of any team and he reached the title game six times, winning three of them. His other four national titles came during the BCS Era. He coached all four of Alabama’s Heisman Trophy winners (Mark Ingram, Derrick Henry, DeVonta Smith and Bryce Young) and 54 first round NFL Draft Picks (and counting).

“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 has a number of former assistants leading college football programs, including Steve Sarkisian (Texas), Kirby Smart (Georgia), Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), Dan Lanning (Oregon), Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Mario Cristobal (Miami FL), Brent Key (Georgia Tech), Mike Locksley (Maryland), Billy Napier (Florida), and Lance Taylor (Western Michigan).

“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 had him leading our football program for the past 17 seasons,” said AD Greg Byrne. “Throughout his career as a head coach, his teams have won seven national championships, 11 conference championships and 312 games, and he’s developed an NCAA-record 49 NFL first-round draft picks and, most importantly, hundreds of college graduates. He is the consummate coach, mentor and leader, and his impact is felt far beyond the football field.

“Coach Saban and Ms. Terry have touched countless lives in our community and the state of Alabama with the work they’ve done through the Nick’s Kids Foundation. While his time as our coach may have come to an end, his legacy will live on forever. What an honor it has been for us to have a front-row seat to one of the best to ever do it. A truly remarkable career for Coach Saban.”

Early names to watch as his replacement include Lanning, Swinney, Washington’s Kalen DeBoer and Florida State’s Mike Norvell.

credit to Alabama Athletics for the image