The Tide Rolls Out On The Nick Saban Era

Nick Saban has called it a career. After 292 wins and 7 national titles, Alabama’s head coach decided to retire. The announcement stunned the college football world.

Saban cited the toll that the grueling seasons were starting to take on him at 72 years old as the main reason for his retirement. Anyone over the age of 40 can sympathize with that. Father time is undefeated after all.

However, many speculate that Saban had become disillusioned with the state of college football. The game has changed dramatically over the past decade between the NIL and the transfer portal. Saban has voiced criticism about these issues in the past.

The Greatest Of All Time

Nick Saban is now widely regarded as the greatest college football coach of all time. On top of the stats mentioned above, Saban is the first coach to win a national title at two different FBS schools. He made four different stops over his college career, but it was his time at Alabama that brought him to the pinnacle of college football history.

After going 7-6 in his first season in Tuscaloosa, Saban led Alabama to a run of dominance that had never been seen before. The Crimson Tide never lost more than three games over the next 16 seasons.

In only his second season at Alabama, Saban led the tide to a 12-0 regular season. They won the title the next season. Five more would follow, including back-to-back wins in 2011 and 2012.

With the exception of that first season, Alabama was in the title mix every year of the Saban era. The Crimson Tide weren’t always the favorites, but they were always in the discussion.

Many thought Bear Bryant would never be surpassed as the greatest Alabama coach in history. But Saban’s 6 titles in a more competitive era give him the edge in my book.

End Of An Era

Alabama fans were devastated by the news of Saban’s retirement. While it was certainly a shocking moment, I wasn’t deeply saddened by the news. When Saban was hired, I thought we’d get 5 or 6 years out of him. We got so much more, more than we could have ever hoped for.

As a fan, I find myself deeply appreciative of the 17 years of excellence I got to witness. Even though the post-Saban era looks murky, I’m excited to see what Kalen Deboer can do with the program. Alabama is a talent-rich state that has been competitive on the national scene since the 1920s. I have no doubt that competitiveness will continue.

I started following college football in 1996 at the age of 12. The first 10 years of Crimson Tide fandom were rocky. On top of bringing excellence to Tuscaloosa, Saban brought stability. You knew what you were getting year in and year out.

Fortunately for Crimson Tide fans, that stable position was at the top of the college football world.