Former Browns defensive coordinator has announced his retirement from coaching

Nick Saban’s illustrious tenure as a college football coach has come to an end.

According to ESPN’s Chris Low, Alabama’s head coach has informed his team that he is retiring. This decision comes after leading the Crimson Tide to a 12-2 record, an SEC championship, and an eighth appearance in the four-team College Football Playoff in 2023. His final game came in a Rose Bowl loss to eventual national champion Michigan.

His tenure as a head coach included stops at Toledo, Michigan State, LSU, and Alabama. He won seven national championships (six at Alabama and one at LSU), 11 SEC titles, and one Mid-American Conference title. His career also featured a brief stint as an NFL head coach with the Miami Dolphins, where he went 15-17 before returning to collegiate football.

Prior to Miami, Saban had two NFL stints. One was the Houston Oilers’ defensive backs coach from 1988 to 1989, and the other was the Browns’ defensive coordinator from 1991 to 1994, both under head coach Bill Belichick. During Saban’s tenure, the squad only had one winning season, which resulted in a playoff berth in 1994. Saban then left to become the head coach of Michigan State.

Saban will be best known for his time with the Crimson Tide, where he won all but one of his national championships while also dominating the sport for over a decade, both on and off the field. During his tenure in Tuscaloosa, he produced multiple NFL Draft choices and All-Americans, as well as a player who won the Heisman Trophy at three different positions. In 2021, Bryce Young was a quarterback, DeVonta Smith was a wide receiver, and Derrick Henry (2015) and Mark Henry (2009) were running backs.

As a college football coach, he has a 292-71-1 record.