University of Alabama Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban has reportedly retired from coaching after spending 17 years on the sideline in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The legendary football guru finishes a storied 41-year coaching career with seven national championships, twelve conference titles and two AP College Football Coach of the Year honors. The news was first shared by Chris Low of ESPN on Wednesday, January 10, 2024.
Saban’s coaching career began in 1971 when he became a graduate assistant at Kent State University. After two seasons and a promotion to coaching linebackers, Saban left Kent State and headed to Syracuse where he became the program’s outside linebackers coach. Over the next 15 years, he would spend time as a defensive coach at various programs, including Syracuse University, the University West Virginia, Ohio State University, Navy, Michigan State University and the Houston Oilers.
Nearly two decades into his coaching career, Saban earned his first shot at a head coaching gig in Toledo, Ohio. In one season at the midwestern institution, he led the Rockets to a 9-2 record and a share of the MAC Championship. However, Saban cut ties with the program after one year to become the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns under head coach Bill Belichick.
Saban left the Browns in 1994 and headed back to college as the leading man at Michigan State. Aside from a stint with the Miami Dolphins, he elected to spend the remaining years of his career in the college game. During his time at Michigan State, LSU and Alabama, he was able to grab eleven conference titles and seven national titles.
