In a candid interview with ESPN, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban opened up about his decision to retire from college football, citing various factors including his team’s behavior following their loss in the Rose Bowl.
Alabama’s defeat at the hands of eventual national champions Michigan in the College Football Playoff on January 1st, marked a pivotal moment in Saban’s career.
The devastating overtime loss, sealed by Jalen Milroe’s stopped run, seemed to have deeper implications beyond the game itself.
JALEN MILROE IS STOPPED ON 4TH DOWN😱
THE WOLVERINES ARE HEADED TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 🏆 #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/X2x3tPzwqr
— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2024
“I want to be clear that wasn’t the reason, but some of those events certainly contributed,” Saban told ESPN. “I was really disappointed in the way that the players acted after the game.”
“You gotta win with class. You gotta lose with class. We had our opportunities to win the game and we didn’t do it, and then showing your ass and being frustrated and throwing helmets and doing that stuff … that’s not who we are and what we’ve promoted in our program.”
Ok so now everyone can admit we broke saban?
— #UofmContent (@Uofmcontentt) March 6, 2024
Saban would go on to admit how troubling it was that instead of focusing on the team, most players were already thinking about how much money they could make and whether they should transfer out of Tuscaloosa or not.
Initially, Saban was excited about what seemed to be in-store for the 2024 season, but his enthusiasm was instantly dashed by the “70-80% of players” who approached him asking about money and playing time.
In other words, it’s extremely naive to think that this new Wild Wild West world of NIL and the transfer portal isn’t precisely what drove Saban to retire.
I’d be hesitant drafting anyone out of Alabama this year.
— Skye Luque 🇺🇸 (@LuqueMeatSauce) March 6, 2024
With seven national titles under his belt, including six with Alabama, Saban is universally recognized as the greatest coach in college football history.
However, times have certainly changed in college football – and he felt his way of coaching and program-building just doesn’t work the way it used to, which is very sad to say the least.
Letting it fly? Dude, this stuff is so obvious. He was being polite. We’re just at the beginning of greed destroying college sports. It’ll be interesting to watch revolutionaries like Jay Bilas go down in flames standing in a cash cage grasping for more money.
— Kenny Keith (@TheBoxingRant) March 6, 2024
Following Saban’s abrupt retirement, Alabama acted swiftly to fill his enormous void by hiring (former) Washington coach Kalen DeBoer as his successor.
DeBoer’s success at Washington, including leading the Huskies to their second playoff appearance and first CFP national title game, made him a solid choice to continue Alabama’s legacy.
"Full of energy. Full of excitement." – Kalen DeBoer on his first spring practice as head coach at Alabama. pic.twitter.com/2WGddQGs4w
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) March 5, 2024
There’s nothing flashy about DeBoer, nor does there have to be. He’s an old-school coach who has climbed the ladder from the bottom-to-the-top and is well-respected across the board.
That’s not to say there won’t be a few growing pains. However, the Tide seem to be in good hands going forward.
Having said that, Saban will surely be missed.
“You can have a record or you can have a legacy.
Your legacy is more how did you do it.
And what I have always tried to do – and what I want my legacy to be is you helped a lot of people be more successful in their life.” -Nick Saban pic.twitter.com/vTxSUEeWNR— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) January 12, 2024
Saban will be joining ESPN’s ultra-popular “College GameDay,” and figures to remain in the public eye.
He also mentioned that he’d be interested in having his voice heard when it comes to improving college football and inputting some much-needed guardrails before the sport truly goes off the track.
I heard bonds and downs were the top 2 of 3 that had their dad call Saban a few hours before the transfer portal closed asking for mo money. Those guys careers are toast now with that type of reputation. Zero buy in . They may do good in the NFL but it will be short lived.
— Adventures of a Single Dad (@LDUnbreakable) March 6, 2024
What are your thoughts on Saban’s comments?
In the bigger picture, what do you think of NIL and the transfer portal?
What guardrails need to be put in place to help save the sport???
Kalen DeBoer taking over for Nick Saban at Alabama like… pic.twitter.com/dRdr42KBxi
— Chris Marler (@VernFunquist) February 29, 2024