Nick Saban, who is widely considered the greatest college football coach because of his run guiding storied programs against the fiercest possible competition, is retiring after a 17-year stint at Alabama in which he delivered six national championships, he announced Wednesday night.
Saban called the university “a very special place” to him and his wife in a school-issued statement, adding that his legacy and the team’s process of sustained success is what was most important to him, not the number of wins or losses.
“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,” he said. “Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home.”
His final championship in 2020 gave Saban seven national titles — he won one previously at LSU — and boosted him past another Alabama great, Bear Bryant, as the coach with the most championships, stamping a legacy defined by reaching the sport’s highest pinnacles.
BREAKING: Nick Saban is retiring, per source. The 72-year-old Alabama coach has won SEVEN national titles, six with the Tide. Chris Low first reported the news.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 10, 2024
Saban, 72,…
