(GoRealNewsNow.com) – In a shocking move, Nick Saban, one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, has announced he is retiring.
Saban, the head coach of the University of Alabama, shared this decision with his team and made a public announcement on Wednesday, as cited by The New York Post.
This announcement follows Alabama’s season conclusion, which ended with an overtime loss to Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinal on New Year’s Day.
Saban, who is 72 years old, has spent 17 years leading the Alabama team and a total of 28 years in college football coaching.
“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me. 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,” Saban stated.
“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,” the legendary coach elaborated.
Saban concludes his distinguished career with a record of 292-71-1, including 11 SEC titles and seven national championships (six with Alabama and one with LSU).
Notably, no college football coach has surpassed Saban’s number of national titles, and he ends his career ranked sixth on the FBS wins list.
His tenure at Alabama is widely regarded as one of the most remarkable in college football history, marked by at least 10 wins each season since 2008.
Saban shares the record for the most national titles in Alabama’s history with Bear Bryant.
At Alabama, he coached 44 first-round NFL draft picks and four Heisman Trophy winners, namely Mark Ingram II, Derrick Henry, DeVonta Smith, and Bryce Young.
Before his tenure at Alabama, Saban coached the Miami Dolphins from 2005-06.
His coaching career also includes stints as head coach at LSU (2000-04), Michigan State (1995-99), and Toledo (1990).
Saban’s achievements in coaching have earned him numerous accolades, including the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award twice and the AP, Walter Camp, and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year awards.