One of the most decorated coaches in the history of college football is retiring.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who has coached the Crimson Tide since 2007, has decided to call it a career.
“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’s illustrious coaching career included stops as head coach at Toledo, Michigan State, LSU, the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and Alabama. He won seven national championships — one at LSU and six at Alabama — the most ever for a college football coach.
His resume includes 11 SEC championships, eight College Football Playoff appearances, and more than 115 NFL draft picks selected during his time at Alabama. Saban finishes his career with an overall record of 292-71-1.
A 30-day transfer portal window for Alabama players will be opened because of the coaching change.
Action Network’s Brett McMurphy reported that Oregon coach Dan Lanning is expected to be the top target for Alabama’s next head coach.