Nick Saban retiring: Alabama coach explains why in first public comments
A momentous day in college football history has arrived as Nick Saban announced his retirement from coaching, ending a tenure defined by most observers as the greatest in the sport's 155-year history, culminating in a record seven national championships.
Why retire now? According to the former Alabama head coach, 72, the modern schedule of being the head of a major football program was too much of a grind.
"There's no illness. Miss Terry's fine. I'm fine. But it was the 'Can you sustain the season from just a mental grind standpoint?' When I was young, you know, I could work till 2 in the morning, get up at 6, and be there the next day and be full of energy and go for it. But when you get a little older, that gets a little tougher and I'm sure a lot of people can relate to that," Saban said on SportsCenter.
Three of Saban's final four losses as a head coach all came on the last play of their respective games: at Tennessee and at LSU in 2022, and to Michigan in the Rose Bowl semifinal game.
That last play was the culmination of one of Saban's best coaching jobs, leading the Tide from an early 1-1 start to an SEC championship and College Football Playoff appearance. And such was Saban's dominance that 2023 marked the first time during his Alabama tenure that the school went three straight years without a national title.
"I just have a high standard for how I do things, and if I don't feel like I'm living up to that standard, I'm really disappointed," Saban said.
"I wasn't disappointed in the season. I wasn't disappointed in the team. I wasn't disappointed in the players. In fact, this team was fun to coach and they came a long ways and I was really proud of the way everybody bought in and did what they did to have the success that we had. But at the same time, I felt like I could have done a better job if I was younger."
Related: How Nick Saban's exit affects Alabama in the transfer portal
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