For the Alabama Crimson Tide, the sudden public shock of the recent retirement announcement from Nick Saban will only continue to add to the mystery and legacy of the long-time coach. While many know of his consistent ability to stay relevant and at the top of college football discussions, few realize just how special his feat was for his players.
Especially with many of his players opting to pursue their NFL dreams, and with the sudden implosion of the transfer portal, a lesser-known fact has escaped the public mind amid hiring speculation. Every player who was able to stay a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide during his tenure could walk off the field as a national champion.
This special fact is truly what speaks to his dominance as a coach. While plenty of coaches have been able to splurge into the scene with mixed success, no one has been able to replicate his prolonged winning in this era.
And some of the older coaches, who were his coaching counterparts in the era of hold have either had to switch locations or take on new career opportunities since facing Coach Saban on the sidelines.
Along with this on-field stat, his ability to graduate players who stayed also is a testament to how his pursuit of excellence prevailed in all aspects of life. With a 93% graduation rate (for those who stayed of course) he ranks up there in terms of making sure his student-athletes received diplomas for the institution.
It is known how helpful and insistent the Alabama Crimson Tide and Nick Saban were when it came to graduating players, as former players could often be seen attending classes, long after they were no longer attending practices under their coach.
Alabama Crimson Tide Next Step For Coach
With how his career came to an end, it’s going to be hard to see Coach Saban not in a public role. This has of course led some to speculate that he will now pursue a future as a broadcaster. With weekly segments on the Pat McAfee Show, perhaps that was something of a glimpse or dry-run to see how his next calling in life would be.
On his personal podcast show on the Volume, Colin Cowherd revealed his inkling that Coach Saban would be offered a lucrative deal from TV Networks to continue to provide insights and offer commentary that has so long been a part of his life. Though nothing official, or even offering of any specifics, it appears that Cowherd knows that talks have at least been held and that there has been a known standing offer for quite some time.
We have seen this before with networks looking to lock in potential past players and coaches early, knowing how well they tend to go over with the general public once their football careers are over.
With how many enjoyed his appearances, and how he has appeared to open himself up more to the media as he came closer to retirement, it will be interesting to see how this next stage in his life will treat him, post-coaching for the Alabama Crimson Tide.