The road to the NCAA Football National Championship has run through Nick Saban for at least the last decade and a half. Now, after 17 dominant years coaching the Alabama Crimson Tide, Saban is stepping down to enjoy retirement after what will certainly be one of the greatest coaching careers in the history of the sport.
Saban holds the NCAA Football record with seven National Championships, six of those coming in his time with the Alabama Crimson Tide. That is a number that seems nearly untouchable today, with no active coach close to catching that total. Alabama’s Athletic Department put together a press release thanking the great coach for his time on campus.
Saban said, “The 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’s about the legacy and how we went about it.”
He continued, “We 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.”
Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne spared no kind when talking about Saban. The entire Alabama community has embraced Saban over his tenure with the school. They are open and unashamed to call him one of the greatest coaches of all time.
Greg Byrne did exactly that, saying, “Simply put, Nick Saban is one of the greatest coaches of all time, in any sport, and The University of Alabama is fortunate to have had him leading our football program for the past 17 seasons.” Byrne went on to explain the countless accomplishments that Saban acquired with the school.
“Throughout his career as a head coach, his teams have won seven national championships, 11 conference championships and 312 games, and he’s developed an NCAA-record 49 NFL first-round draft picks and, most importantly, hundreds of college graduates. He is the consummate coach, mentor and leader, and his impact is felt far beyond the football field.”
Stuart R. Bell, Alabama President, also took time to thank Nick Saban for his time in Tuscaloosa. It seems that the school’s administrators, as well as fans of the team, understand that Saban is going to go down in history as one of the best coaches of all-time across all sports, and he will be forever associated with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Bell said, “Words cannot adequately express our appreciation to Coach Saban for his exemplary leadership and service to The University of Alabama over the past 17 years. His commitment to excellence has set the standard for our program, both on the field and in the classroom. We are grateful for the lasting impact he has made on the lives of our student-athletes and the incredible memories his teams have created for our students, alumni, fans and supporters.”
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