WV Native, Alabama HC Nick Saban to Retire After Legendary Career

Nick Saban, regarded by most as the greatest college football coach of all-time, is retiring. A bombshell report by ESPN’s Chris Low says Alabama’s legendary head coach is calling it a career after a coaching career that began in the 1970’s.

Saban, a Fairmont, West Virginia native, caps off his career with a 292-71-1 college record, seven National Championships, 11 SEC titles and multiple Coach of the Year honors.

Nick Saban is one of the best to ever do it:

🐐 7 National championships (6 w/ Bama, 1 w/ LSU)
🐐 5x SEC COY awards
🐐 297 career wins (5th all-time)

28 years of greatness pic.twitter.com/WlEGUFYXz6

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 10, 2024

Saban arrived in Alabama in 2007 after a failed stint in the NFL as head coach of the Miami Dolphins. He then embarked on an illustrious run that would elevate his entire resume and stature to an epic level, making him the most accomplished college football coach ever. Saban won six of his seven National Championships at Alabama.

The 72-year-old also produced 44 NFL draft picks during his tenure as leader of the Crimson Tide. Before his success at Alabama, Saban won a National Championship at LSU, led Michigan State from 1995 to 1999 and served on Bill Belichick’s staff with the Cleveland Browns.

Aside from being from West Virginia and having coached at WVU as defensive backs coach (1978-79), the other West Virginia angle to Saban’s retirement connects to WVU’s future schedule. The Mountaineers are slated to face Alabama in Morgantown in 2026 and then in Tuscaloosa in 2027. Those games will now happen without a native son on the opposing sideline.