Nick Saban on retirement rumors, coaching in his 70’s: ‘They don’t make ‘em like they used to’

Nick Saban could retire now and no one would bat an eye. The Alabama head coach has no impending plans to step away from the Crimson Tide however.

Saban revealed what it was like to coach in his 70s and what would ultimately make him step away from his job. But for now, the legendary coach will keep going in 2023 and beyond.

Saban joined Stephen A. Smith’s podcast Know Mercy and opened up on retirement.

“Well, you know, I love it,” Saban said. “Speak to your 71 years of age, I just want to let you know that they don’t make them like they used to.”

After a few laughs, Smith clarified and asked Saban if the coach meant he won’t go anywhere any time soon.

“Well, you know, I basically love what I do,” Saban said. “I love the relationships with the players. I love trying to build a team with a group of people, now that’s a lot of fun, and I enjoy doing that. I’m also very aware that I don’t want to ever ride the program down. In other words, there’s going to come a time when my age and my circumstance, everybody’s going to be able to tell somebody where he’s not gonna be there. I mean, ‘how long is he going to coach? Til he’s 90?’ And that will start to affect the program maybe in an adverse way. I don’t want to get there. 

“And I don’t ever want to be in this position, where I don’t feel like I’m making a positive contribution to the program because I can still do the work at a quality level that is making a contribution to the success of the organization. So I’m not there yet. But all those things are factors that I would consider. And whenever the time comes, it hasn’t come yet, I enjoy what I’m doing.”

Without retirement in the near-future, Saban is 189-27 in his career at Alabama in 2007. He is 280-69-1 overall with Toledo, Michigan State, LSU and Alabama.

A seven-time national champion, Saban has more accolades than any other college football coach past or current. Even in the College Football Playoff era, Saban and Alabama did not slow down.

2022 was a rare year where Alabama missed out on the playoff but the Crimson Tide made two of the last three national title games and a title in 2020.

CLICK HERE to subscribe to the On3 YouTube channel today for all of the latest news on college football, recruiting, NIL, more! 

Saban fully expects Alabama to get back to that point in 2023, so don’t expect retirement.