Nick Saban, arguably the greatest coach in college football history, announced he’ll be stepping down from Alabama football. The seven time national champion retired after 17 seasons coaching Alabama and 28 seasons at the collegiate level.
Saban’s first head coaching opportunity came in 1990 at the University of Toledo where he took the Rockets to a 9-2 record. After that season he left to go team up with Bill Belicheck in the NFL. In 1995 he returned to college to coach Michigan State. Saban spent four years with the Spartans going 34-24-1. After his span with the Spartans, Saban went to LSU and led them to a national title in 2003. Saban then left LSU after the 2004 season and took a NFL job with the Dolphins from 2005-2007.
Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007 tasked to turn around the struggling Crimson Tide. Saban took Alabama to 17 straight winning seasons, 6 national titles, and 9 SEC championships. Every single Alabama player that Saban recruited who played at Alabama for 4 years won a national title with him. Speaking of recruits, Saban produced 44 first round draft picks, that means that Saban produced more first round draft picks (44), than games he lost while at Alabama (29).
Nick Saban is without a doubt the best coach in Alabama history and makes a good argument for best collegiate coach of all time. “Simply put, Nick Saban is one of the greatest coaches of all time, in any sport,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said. Nick Saban has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest coaches ever at the college level. His all-time college record of 292-72-1 makes him the 6th most winningest coach in NCAA history.
“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me,” Saban said. “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.”
With the retirement of Nick Saban, college football has lost one of its greats. Nick Saban will always be remembered for his impact on the college football landscape. He will be cemented into college football history and will certainly be a future member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
