Nick Saban on leaving college football: ‘Maybe this doesn’t work anymore’
College football’s most accomplished coach stepped down this offseason and judging by Nick Saban’s comments, the direction of the sport had something to do with it
While the announcement that Nick Saban would step away from Alabama sent shock waves throughout college football and American sports in general, the NCAA-record seven-time national champion head coach revealed that his decision was not one made quickly, and that retirement had been on his mind for a while beforehand.
Dating back to the end of the 2022 season, in fact. In an interview with ESPN, Saban said that he notified Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne that he felt his coaching career was drawing to a close at that time, and that it was a confluence of factors that led him to make the final decision.Those factors became apparent shortly after Alabama lost to Michigan in the Rose Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game, when several players were asking about potential financial gain through NIL and wondering about transfers.
“I thought we could have a hell of a team next year, and then maybe 70 or 80 percent of the players you talk to, all they want to know is two things: “What assurances do I have that I’m going to play?’ because they’re thinking about transferring, and, ‘How much are you going to pay me?'” Saban recalled
