Alabama’s Nick Saban, the coach who established the most successful college football program of the 21st century, is stepping away from the sidelines.
Saban’s retirement was first reported Wednesday by The Tuscaloosa News.
Saban in a statement Wednesday evening announced his retirement and said he and his wife Terry “have enjoyed every minute” of their 17 years at the university and as part of the Tuscaloosa community.
“It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way,” Saban said. “The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home.”
Saban steps away with a career mark of 297-71-1, a stunning .806 winning clip in stops at Toledo, Michigan State, LSU and Alabama.
While he was successful at all those stops, he’ll be best known for his time in Tuscaloosa, bringing the Crimson Tide back to the top of college football.
During his 17 years in ‘Bama, the Tide went 206-29 (.877) and won national championships in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Saban’s Alabama teams were so dominant in his years, that he became the virtual face of college football, whether he was in insurance company ads or making a brief appearance in the blockbuster movie “The Blind Side.”
In a post on a social media page for Saban’s charity, Nick’s Kids Foundation, his wife said that Alabama will always be a part of their family’s life.
“It has been an incredible run these last 17 years at the University of Alabama, and we take with us many amazing memories,” Terry Saban wrote on the Facebook page. “We hope that the Saban legacy will be about helping others and making a positive difference in people’s lives as well as the winning tradition on the field. ... Alabama will always feel like ‘Sweet Home’ to our family, and we’ll be cheering ‘Roll Tide’!”
Saban wraps his career with a loss, which was one of two his team recorded this season.
Alabama had 12 wins this season, including handing defending national champion Georgia its only loss of the year in the SEC championship game to keep the Bulldogs out of the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide then lost in the Rose Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines, who went on to capture the College Football Playoff championship.
As his teams collected national titles, Saban, 72, collected personal honors: He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2013; he was twice named Associated Press National Coach of the Year — first in 2003, when he coached LSU, and in 2008 when he was at Alabama.
Saban was born in Fairmont, Virginia, and played football at Kent State University as a student.
His first head coaching job was at the University of Toledo in Ohio, a job that was followed by positions leading Michigan State and LSU. He coached the Miami Dolphins NFL team before he was hired at Alabama in 2007.
This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.
