TUSCALOOSA, Mississippi – The announcement of Nick Saban’s retirement came on Wednesday. Saban is the coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, who has won more college football national championships than any other coach in the modern period.
“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me,” according to Saban. The seventeen years that we have spent serving as the head coach at Alabama and becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community have been ones that we have cherished every single one of. When it comes to the legacy, it is not simply about the number of games we won and lost; rather, it is about how we went about leaving a legacy.
At all times, we made an effort to carry out the task in the appropriate manner. It was always the intention to assist players in generating more value for their future, in being the greatest players they could be, and in achieving greater success in life as a result of their participation in the program overall. That is something that we hope to have accomplished, and we will always consider Alabama to be our home.
Saban was the head coach of the collegiate football teams at Toledo (1990), Michigan State (1995-1999), LSU (2000-2004), and Alabama (2007-23). He served in this capacity for 29 years.
After winning his first national championship at LSU in 2003, he went on to win six more championships at Alabama (2009, 2011-12, 2015, 2017 and 2020). In total, he won seven national Championships over the course of those 28 years. During the 2005–2006 season, he also served as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
“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,” according to Alabama’s Director of Athletics Greg Byrne.
He has generated an NCAA record 49 NFL first-round draft picks and, most significantly, hundreds of college grads during the course of his career as a head coach. His teams have won seven national titles, eleven conference championships, and 312 games. It is also noteworthy that he has developed a record number of college graduates. As a coach, mentor, and leader, he is the epitome of excellence, and his influence extends far beyond the confines of the football field.
Nick Saban retires after 17 seasons at Alabama
via the work that they have done via the Nick’s Kids Foundation, Coach Saban and Ms. Terry have had an impact on the lives of a great number of people in our community and throughout the state of Alabama. It is possible that his tenure as our coach has come to an end; yet, his legacy will endure for perpetuity. It has been a privilege for us to be able to watch one of the most accomplished performers in the history of the world perform. It has been an absolutely fantastic career for Coach Saban.
There were three national titles won by Saban’s teams during the Bowl Championship Series period, and there were three more national championships won after the College Football Playoff was established. Saban’s Crimson Tide teams entered the College Football Playoff eight times over the course of ten seasons.
“Words cannot adequately express our appreciation to Coach Saban for his exemplary leadership and service to The University of Alabama over the past 17 years,” stated University of Alabama President Stuart R. Bell. The standard for our program has been established by his dedication to greatness, which has been demonstrated both on the field and in the classroom. In addition to the amazing memories that his teams have generated for our students, alumni, fans, and supporters, we are thankful for the long-lasting impact that he has had on the lives of our student-athletes.
“Coach Saban and Ms. Terry are tremendous ambassadors for The University of Alabama and our community and we celebrate their many contributions and indelible legacy.”
A total of 297-71-1 (.806) in collegiate coaching, including 206-29 (.877) in Tuscaloosa, Saban’s record in Tuscaloosa was particularly impressive. His teams won a total of eleven SEC championships, with a record of 11-1 in SEC Championship Games. Nine of those championships were won at Alabama, where they had a record of 9-1, and two were won at LSU, where they had a record of 2-0. With the Dolphins in 2005-2006, he also won 15 games throughout that season.
In the six seasons that Saban has led Alabama to the national championship, his teams have a record of 21-2 versus top-10 opponents. Since 2008, the Crimson Tide have a record of 37-15 overall against games played against top-10 teams. Additionally, Alabama was ranked first in the Associated Press Poll for at least one week for a total of fifteen consecutive years (2008-22), surpassing the previous record of seven years held by Miami (1986-92).
Saban is tied with Frank Leahy of Notre Dame for the most Heisman Trophy winners in the history of college football having coached four Heisman Trophy winners. He holds the distinction of being the only coach in history to have ever coached Heisman Trophy winners at three different positions (running back, wide receiver, and quarterback).
At the time that Saban arrived on campus, the Alabama program had only six players who had won individual national awards. However, since 2008, Crimson Tide players have won a total of sixty national accolades.
Nick Saban retires after 17 seasons at Alabama
Sixty-six All-America awards have been bestowed upon his Alabama players by 58 different individuals over the course of the past sixteen seasons. In addition to 46 players receiving consensus honors and 25 players receiving unanimous picks, eight players have been named All-Americans for a second time. Throughout the history of Alabama, Will Anderson Jr. became the first player to get unanimous All-American honors twice.
The success of Saban has also translated into success for his players in the National Football League, with a record 49 players being selected in the first round of the draft (44 of which were from Alabama). More than two billion dollars has been paid to his Alabama players over the course of the past sixteen NFL seasons.
The success that the Tide have had in the classroom has corresponded with the success that they have had on the field over the course of the past 17 seasons. An impressive total of 656 degrees, including 103 master’s degrees, have been received by Alabama football players since Saban took over as head coach in 2007.
It is the Sabans. Nick’s Kids Foundation is a thriving illustration of the family’s ongoing concern for children who are in difficult situations. With the help of the Nick’s Kids Foundation, more than twelve million dollars have been given to kids, teachers, and children’s causes at more than one hundred and fifty different charitable organizations in Tuscaloosa since Nick and Terry moved there.
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