Alabama’s Coach Saban Retires with Historic Seven National Titles

University of Alabama football head coach Nick Saban has announced his retirement. 

Alabama head coach Nick Saban leaves the field after their win against Ohio State in an NCAA College Football Playoff national championship game, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Nick Saban, the stern coach who won seven national championships and turned Alabama back into a national powerhouse that included six of those titles in just 17 seasons, is retiring, according to multiple reports, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.AP Photo/Lynne SladkySaban, who made the announcement Jan. 10, won seven national championships, more than any major college football coach. He won his first title with LSU and another six during 17 seasons at the University of Alabama, where his teams were ranked No. 1 in the AP poll 15 straight seasons.

“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me,” said Saban. “It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way.”

Saban is credited with restoring the Crimson Tide football program once ruled by Paul “Bear” Bryant to the top of NCAA football after taking over in 2007.

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne called Saban “one of the greatest coaches of all time, in any sport.” Saban led LSU to SEC championships in 2001 and 2003, when he won his first national title. He led the Tide to nine SEC championships and won national titles in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2020.

Saban’s team dealt with an early season loss to Texas in September but rebounded to upset then-No. 1 Georgia in the 2023 SEC Championship game. The Tide closed the season with loss to Michigan, 27-20, during the College Football Playoff Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1.