University of Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban announced his retirement on Wednesday, sending shock waves through college football.
Saban, who boasts a 292-71-1 record as a head coach, has won more college football national championships than any coach in the modern era.
“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 coached for 28 years at the Unversity of Toledo (1990), Michigan State (1995-99), LSU (2000-04) and Alabama (2007-23). He won seven national titles, his first at LSU in 2003, and six championships at Alabama (2009, 2011-12, 2015, 2017 and 2020).
He also coached the Miami Dolphins for two seasons (2005-06) and was the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns for four years (1991-94).