After a remarkable 17-year journey with Alabama, the legendary college football coach Nick Saban has decided to retire. Known for crafting two formidable programs, his announcement on Wednesday evoked emotional responses from different football stars across the league.
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Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders was one of them, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his surprise and disbelief at Nick Saban’s abrupt retirement. He expressed that the college football scene has changed so significantly in the last few years that it even chased the ‘GOAT’ coach away. Sanders stated,
“WOW! College Football just lost the GOAT to retirement. WOW! I knew it would happen 1 day soon but not this soon. The game has change so much that it chased the GOAT away. College football let’s hold up our mirrors and say HONESTLY what u see. #Coach Prime @CUBuffsFootball”
Deion Sanders on Nick Saban’s retirement:
“The game has changed so much that it chased the GOAT away.”
Do you agree? https://t.co/JdWiLm5rZu pic.twitter.com/VPgyHsDkHv
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 10, 2024
Nick Saban‘s greatness can be defined by the accomplishments he achieved in Alabama. He won a total of six national championship titles and 9 SEC championship titles with the Crimson Tide. Their most recent national victory took place in 2020, making it his seventh overall championship trophy, as his inaugural win took place in 2003 with LSU. With seven national titles, he broke the record of Bear Bryant and became the most championship-winning coach in the league’s history.
Nick Saban had an INSANE resume at Alabama:
• 6x national champion
• 9x SEC champion
• 206-29 career record in 17 seasonsBut financially, it’s even crazier.
The “Flutie Effect” is when athletic accomplishments increase exposure and, eventually, enrollment.
And no one did… pic.twitter.com/nAdVv5zPKg
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) January 10, 2024
Coach Saban turned Alabama into a football powerhouse, with flawless season after season since 2008. Furthermore, four youngsters who honed their athletic prowess under him went on to win the Heisman Trophy, with the most recent one being Bryce Young in 2021. In his 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide, he won a whopping 206 games and lost only 29. His retirement leaves a huge void in the sport that we know and love, making it a little less colorful.
Deion Sanders certainly felt this and asked others related to the game to take a good look at themselves and figure out what’s going on around them. Maybe the college football scene isn’t the same anymore as the recent rules have shifted the players’ focus from the game.
Could Bill Belichick Succeed Nick Saban at Alabama?
The 72-year-old coaching legend Nick Saban’s retirement has sent the football world into a frenzy, particularly in Alabama. With the head coaching seat vacant, speculations are being made about who might take over the role, and a name that keeps popping up is the Patriots’ now-former head coach, Bill Belichick.
Belichick and Saban have a long history together, dating back to the ’90s, when the former became the head coach of the Cleveland Browns and had Saban as the defensive coordinator. Since then, the two have made quite a dent in the football world, earning all the coveted accolades. Their respect for each other also never diminished as Belichick once called Saban the “best coach in football” and someone he “respects more than anyone in the game” in an interview.
Bill Belichick has a ton of respect for Nick Saban:
“There’s no one I respect more in Football than Nick Saban.”
(h/t @NFLFilms)pic.twitter.com/d3U4WCPSBt https://t.co/BPUFozq7Hp
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 10, 2024
Meanwhile, after a 23-year stint in Foxborough, the Patriots decided to part ways with their veteran head coach. So the questions that now linger — would he be retiring for good? Or if he is up for a new challenge. If he chooses the latter and takes over Alabama, he will have the chance to carry on the incredible legacy that Coach Saban has built over the years.
