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.
ur program here was always built on how much value can we create for your future and your personal development, academic success in graduating, and developing an NFL career on the field?” he added.
Saban then starting questioning the incentives that college football’s new structure seem to create.
“So I’m saying to myself, ‘Maybe this doesn’t work anymore, that the goals and aspirations are just different and that it’s all about how much money can I make as a college player?’ I’m not saying that’s bad. I’m not saying it’s wrong. I’m just saying that’s never been what we were all about, and it’s not why we had success through the years.”
