{"id":31596,"date":"2024-01-11T09:24:19","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T14:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=31596"},"modified":"2024-01-11T09:24:19","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T14:24:19","slug":"the-end-of-an-era-nick-saban-retires-as-alabamas-head-football-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2024\/01\/the-end-of-an-era-nick-saban-retires-as-alabamas-head-football-coach.html","title":{"rendered":"The End of An Era: Nick Saban Retires as Alabama’s Head Football Coach"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Travis Fannon \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A college football legend is walking away from the sport. Although Nick Saban\u2019s coaching reign has come to an end, his dominance over college football will linger forever.<\/p>\n

Saban, who won seven national championships,\u00a0 more than any major college football coach, and turned Alabama back into a national powerhouse that shattered an AP poll record for most consecutive seasons at number one, announced his retirement. Saban said in a statement, \u201cThe University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me. We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama, as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it\u2019s about the legacy and how we went about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued, \u201cWe always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home.\u201d The 72-year-old restored a Crimson Tide program once ruled by Paul \u201cBear\u201d Bryant to the top of college football after taking over in 2007. As he stacked his wins, Saban\u2019s celebrity status reached royalty levels in Alabama.<\/p>\n

For some time, he was the sports overlord, and there was little that could be done to stop him. Saban won six of his titles during his 17 seasons at Alabama. He won his first in 2003 with LSU. His Tide teams were ranked number one in the AP poll in a remarkable 15 straight seasons, breaking the old record of seven held by Miami. Saban\u2019s wife, Terry, posted about their \u201cincredible run\u201d at Alabama on the Facebook page for Nick\u2019s Kids Foundation. She wrote, \u201cWe hope that the Saban legacy will be about helping others and making a positive difference in people\u2019s lives as well as the winning tradition on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n