Alabama DC Steele on Saban’s Potential Retirement: ’Nobody Knows That Answer Except Him’

The Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator answered the question about his legendary boss’s career future earnestly.

After upsetting Georgia in the SEC championship and jumping in front of undefeated Florida State for a College Football Playoff spot, Alabama coach Nick Saban is once again just a pair of wins from taking home a national championship. Another title in would give Saban eight overall and seven with the Crimson Tide.

It would be hard top an unlikely national championship as a moment for Saban to ride off into the sunset, once again at the top of the sport. However, not even those closest to Saban on Alabama’s staff know what the ultra-competitive 72-year-old has planned career-wise.

Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kevin Steele’s relationship with Saban dates to 1985, and he’s on his third stint as a Saban assistant. When asked about Saban’s retirement plans Friday, he had little insight to give.

“I will tell you this: Nobody knows that answer except him,” Steele said Friday, per 247Sports, simply adding “Wow” when asked about the possibility of Saban retiring after an eighth title.

Nick Saban has a chance to win an eighth national championship with Alabama in the College Football Playoff as the No. 4 seed :: John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports

The question is a natural one, given Saban’s age and incredible legacy. When asked about the possibility, a pair of standout defensive players—cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe—said they’d be surprised to see Saban walk away after this year, no matter how the season concludes.

Eboigbe echoed Saban’s own words on the matter.

“He always say, ‘Why would I walk away and do what?’ First day I came in, he still has the same fire and passion that he does now,” Eboigbe said. “I truly believe him. I know when I was getting recruited, people said he was going to walk away, and he still hasn’t.”

Saban is 292-70-1 in his college head coaching career, with a remarkable 201–28 mark (including 117–18 in SEC games) at Alabama.

The No. 4 Crimson Tide (12–1) will face No. 1 Michigan (13–0) in a CFP semifinal at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET.