Reports: Alabama head coach Nick Saban to retire

OXFORD, Miss. — Alabama head coach Nick Saban is planning to retire, according to a report from Chris Low of ESPN.

One of the greatest runs in college football history is over. Nick Saban informed his team today that he’s retiring, sources tell ESPN. He won six national championships at Alabama and one at LSU.

— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) January 10, 2024

Saban retires with an overall collegiate record of 292-71-1; 201 of those wins have occurred at Alabama. 

Saban was hired by the Crimson Tide in 2007. He has led Alabama to six national titles and 11 Southeastern Conference championships. He led LSU to the national title in 2003. In between his time at LSU and Alabama, Saban coached two years in the NFL with the  Miami Dolphins.

Under his tutelage, the Tide celebrated its first four Heisman Trophy winners: Mark Ingram, Derrick Henry, DeVonta Smith and Bryce Young.

Saban, a former Kent State defensive back, spent two years at Ohio State coaching the Buckeyes’ defensive backs in 1980 and 1981. He first head coaching job came at Toledo in 1990, and he then became the head coach at Michigan State from 1995-99 after four years as the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator.

The 72-year-old Saban has notched 16-straight seasons with a top-five recruiting class. He has produced 44 NFL first round draft picks during his tenure as the Tide head coach. 

This opens up one of the most coveted jobs in all of college sports.

Evelyn Van Pelt

Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.