Nick Saban admits he was uncertain on decision to retire minutes before telling team

Nick Saban wasn’t sure he could go through with announcing his retirement to his team. In fact, he waited until the final moments to be sure that he made the right decision.

The longtime Alabama head coach and seven-time national champion sat down with ESPN’s Rece Davis to recall those final moments he spent as headman in Tuscaloosa.

“It was a hard decision,” Saban told ESPN’s Rece Davis in a sit-down interview. “Look, I love coaching. I love the relationships with the players. The thing that made it more difficult for me is I felt like it might be the right time for me, but how it impacted the players, the coaches, all the people who work here in the building and contributed to the success of the team — how would it affect them?

“That was the hard part and that was the part that I kept vacillating on, back and forth until I was on the phone — we had a meeting at 4 o’clock. It was 3:55. I was sitting in my chair, looking at the clock, saying you’ve got five minutes to decide what speech you’re going to give.”

He had two options — telling his team he was handing up his headset, or going ahead with announcing to his team that he was all-in for another go-around in 2024.

Saban told Davis that he was talking to his wife, who is affectionately dubbed ‘Miss Terry’ around Tuscaloosa, up until the final minutes. He said it was a difficult decision because it impacts and influences the lives of so many people.

Of course, if Saban has anyone to thank for his illustrious career — he’d probably have to hand that honor to Miss Terry. The two celebrated 52 years of marriage last year and has been one of the most beloved members of the Alabama football program during Saban’s tenure. 

She always brought her game face to the stands on game day and was always quick to embrace all Crimson Tide players after the game. She, almost as much as Saban, will be missed around the football program.

And it’s not as if the Sabans will be leaving Tuscaloosa. Saban revealed that he will be given an office inside Bryant-Denny Stadium where he can come and go as he pleases, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him pop up at a Crimson Tide home game or two during the 2024 season.