Inside the Meeting: Shawn Murphy recalls Nick Saban’s stunning retirement
South Carolina linebacker Shawn Murphy had no idea last January when his then-head coach Nick Saban called what appeared to be a standard team meeting that he was about to be a part of history.
“It was a crazy day,” Murphy said.
Jan. 10, 2024. The day college football’s modern-day GOAT announced his retirement.
“Well, we were the first people to know,” Murphy said recently in a Gamecock Club Hour interview on 107.5 The Game. “I don’t know if he talked to the staff before—he said he didn’t. It was crazy. None of us knew what was going on. We had a random team meeting. We were all thinking maybe it was to talk about how we were going to move forward for next season or something like that. But I kind of got that feeling when he started beating around the bush a little bit, trying to figure out how he was going to say it.
“Because Coach Saban—he never beats around the bush. He’s going to tell you exactly what it is, off rip, no hesitation. And I think it was a hard day for everybody, even him.”
Saban had insisted on telling his players before the news broke to the media and he did so, informing Murphy and his teammates that he was stepping away from the game after 17 seasons at Alabama.
Murphy was there for two of those seasons.
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“Well, I mean, when I first got to Alabama, it was a lot,” Murphy said. “It was a lot of defense to learn, a lot of things I had to mature and develop in. But I don’t regret going there and learning how to play a very hard defense.
“Through my journey to this point, I understand a lot of different things. I understand a lot of different schemes and how to play real football. And I think Bama taught me that really well, especially under Saban. Saban has a lot of diversity within his defensive calls, and it made me very versatile in learning other things. I feel like Coach (Clayton) White does a good job of being versatile in his defense. And I see a lot of things that Saban was doing that Coach White is doing now. I see a lot of similarities in that.”
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Saban finished his time in Tuscaloosa with 201 wins, nine SEC championships, and six national titles.
Murphy, who transferred to South Carolina this offseason after just one year at Florida State, received the stamp of approval from Saban to coaches who were recruiting his former player GamecockCentral was told by sources.
“I’m thankful. I’m thankful, honestly,” Murphy said. “That’s great to hear. It kind of helps me out and leads people to respect me through his word. Because I know any suggestion from him is usually valid to anybody in the game of football, especially a defensive mind.
“Yeah, and I’m thankful. I don’t know what else to be but thankful. He’s the GOAT, and he taught me a lot. I’m forever grateful and thankful for everything he’s done for me.”
