Nick Saban shocked the college football world by announcing his retirement from coaching. A seven-time national championship winner, he then accepted a “support” role at the University of Alabama, where he won six national titles with that program.
Saban faced challenges throughout his storied career, but he also had to contend with criticism off the field. In December, the undefeated Florida State Seminoles fell out of the top four in the College Football Playoff rankings. Saban’s Crimson Tide clinched the fourth and final playoff spot, which caused controversy.
Some upset fans decided to contact Saban directly.
“My cell phone was blown up by people who didn’t get in, as if I was responsible for that,” Saban said on “The Pat McAfee Show” in December. This week, Saban was more candid about his “Internet haters.”
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Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide before the SEC Championship Game against the Georgia Bulldogs on December 4, 2021 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Saban said one of the challenges he faced as a coach was trying to minimize the influence of “external factors” such as opinions on the internet.
“I’m amazed that a guy could sit in his basement, probably his mother’s house, probably in his underwear, probably be overweight, and post something on the internet and care what everyone thinks about him. ,” Saban said at the Irondale Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. In Alabama.
“But it’s going to impact our players,” Saban said. “And I always tried to make sure they weren’t influenced by external factors, what other people thought.”
Nick Saban reveals reasons for retiring from Alabama
Saban added that ultimately more emphasis should be placed on “doing the right thing.”
“Your trust, your belief and doing the right thing is much more important than what anyone else thinks,” Saban said. “So, not letting external factors – and you’ve heard me use the word ‘rat poison’ – influence your behavior and the way you do things is the most difficult thing to do. That was one of the things.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban reacts after running back Jace McClellan scores a touchdown during the second half of the Rose Bowl CFP NCAA semifinal against Michigan on January 1, 2024 in Pasadena, California. (AP Photo/Gong Kyusung, File)
Saban also reflected on the “most humiliating” loss of his coaching career.
“I think you remember the first year we were at Alabama, we lost to ULM,” Saban said. “You might not even know what that means — the University of Louisiana at Monroe. It was probably the most humiliating loss of my entire coaching career.”
The game Saban mentioned occurred at Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2007. Louisiana vs. Monroe celebrated a 21-14 victory over the Crimson Tide.
“I think we’ve had five people suspended by the NCAA,” Saban said. “We received three more suspensions for disciplinary reasons. We played badly in the game. It was embarrassing for how we represented the university and the program. We We fumbled the ball six times. So we ended up losing the game. “The fans are disappointed. ”
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban speaks during the 2023 SEC Media Days at the Grand Hyatt Nashville on July 19, 2023 in Nashville. (Johnny Izquierdo/Getty Images)
Shortly after Saban’s retirement, the University of Alabama announced that Karen DeBoer would be leaving the Washington Huskies to take the head coaching job in Tuscaloosa.
“I want to draw as little attention to me being here as possible,” Saban told ESPN. “So I want to be a support. I want to be helpful. But I don’t want to be looking over someone’s shoulder.”
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Saban will take up a new role as an analyst on ESPN’s “College GameDay” later this year.
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