Nick Saban retired from his job as the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide on Wednesday. Saban decided to ride into the sunset after an incredible 17-year run in Tuscaloosa and a remarkable collegiate coaching career.
ESPN was the first to report the news of Saban’s retirement. Chris Low had the honor and distinction of rolling the report out.
Naturally, an outpouring followed. Low’s tweet quickly got a lot of traction online, with hundreds and thousands diving in.
Nick Saban is retiring, sources tell ESPN. He won six national titles at Alabama.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) January 10, 2024
Several media members were also among those quick to react. Considering that Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll (also 72) was in the news as well for his exit in Seattle, it was a very busy day.
Another coaching shocker: https://t.co/0uP0MVQlWP
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 10, 2024
Covering Nick Saban was the most challenging thing I've ever done. We battled. He made me a better reporter. I made him mad. It ended with mutual respect and some laughs. It was three years I'll never forget.
Fortunate to experience the greatest college coach ever. https://t.co/noyCNTp2bT
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 10, 2024
ESPN’s Bill Connelly was one of several who were in “see it to believe it” mode about this stunning news.
This had been swirling around for a while, but I refused to believe it was EVER going to happen until it happened. Legitimately might have been the best college football coach ever. https://t.co/q6h79XgHY4
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) January 10, 2024
Jim Harbaugh is no longer the most famous coach in the news, and his saga is no longer the most interesting in the sport, as Sports Illustrated‘s Pat Forde said.
If you were thinking Jim Harbaugh’s future is the biggest coaching news of the week, we have this update https://t.co/p3HB8rsJsF
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) January 10, 2024
And, just like us, Jemele Hill posed the question of whether Saban is media-bound.
Phenomenal coach. Really curious if makes the pivot to TV. Seems like a natural fit. https://t.co/Am8YXr63mR
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) January 10, 2024
You don’t often get many moments where everything just “stands still.” Nick Saban is a powerful enough figure in the sports world that after the news broke, it was quite something to watch everyone just react. Saban retiring felt like something that could always happen… you just never know when.
Well, now we do. The effect that Saban’s retirement will have on the sport is yet to be seen. But he leaves the game as one of the greatest coaches ever and one of the most visible figures the sport’s ever seen. That indelible mark really took shape on Wednesday after the big news.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022