...I've been seeing lots of stuff on FB () indicating this, 'confirmation' from his daughter (again, ) that if Bama wins it all this year, Saban steps down...

...the ONLY thing which MAY lend credence to this is... well, Saban is 72, albeit a quite spry 72 - no doubt he could coach 4-5 more years at least.
ALSO, I KNOW he just isn't a fan of the NIL / Portal era of things, even tho Bama will not be adversely affected by it, but it's just more stuff to hassle with for him.
AND, there's also no doubt that Nick seems to be overall a LOT more 'at ease' these past few seasons, especially this year, at least away from the sidelines - makes you wonder if he's thinking it will be a perfect endingto his career to go out on top...

Just wondering if y'all have any 'take' on this, especially our Crimson folks...

Those are all valid reasons, for sure. I wouldn't be surprised if he retired or if he kept coaching.

He might keep coaching just to keep everyone guessing.

Saban will retire, eventually. It might be at the end of this year, it might be another 5 years, right now we don’t know. People have been saying he’s done and going to retire for 5-7 years now. People keeping saying, and eventually they will be right and there are a group that will claim they knew all along and they were right.

Saban is like Belichick, he has no life, and will coach until his legs are worse than Pime Time's legs.

No. Saban will go down like Bear Bryant. Coach until he's sick to death and has 2 months to live. Then he'll quit.

Saban I bet retires win or lose.

2024 is going to be a different animal with UT/OU in the SEC plus the 12 team playoff.

I do not know the man personally and I am biased as a fan of a rival school, but I think that Saban chooses that route (retiring after the season, especially a natty), rather than announcing "this is my last year." It might not be this season, but I think he chooses that way at least in part to make it hard for Alabama to replace him from the outside. Alabama would then have to promote Rees or Steele rather than getting the big name. Of course Alabama can fire anyone at any time to get the guy they want.

Alabama has a game at West Virginia (his home state) in 2026 and I think he’ll stick around for that.

Yes, he is 72 but seems to be in pretty decent health. Bryant chain smoked unfiltered cigarettes and drank heavily. He was lucky to live as long as he did. Saban doesn’t drink or smoke. (Does chew tobacco).

I think when he retires he will announce it ahead of time to let the university do a full coaching search. Rees has never been a head coach before and has only been here a year. Steele has a record of 9-36 and will be 66 in March. No way either gets the job right now.

I've wondered this too. He's had more visible fun this year than any other I've ever seen, smiling and laughing with a cigar in his hand after the Tennessee win for instance. That much of a change could well mean he's nearing the end. Or it could mean the opposite, that he's found a way to enjoy himself that he wasn't able to in the past and if he's having fun he may have no end in sight.

With the 12 team playoff on the way I think he'll stick around.

Houston Texans coach will be the next coach at Tuscaloosa.

Saban will retire when he is ready or just die on the sidelines. Seems to be at the top of coaches at this time so no need to quit when your still one of the best.

Coaching is the only job he knows and he obviously enjoys it. Is he really ready just to play golf and run errands for Miss Terry? Doesn't seem like it.

I could see Saban taking over for Corso on GameDay.

(12-27-2023 10:25 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  Houston Texans coach will be the next coach at Tuscaloosa.

Saban will retire when he is ready or just die on the sidelines. Seems to be at the top of coaches at this time so no need to quit when your still one of the best.

Nobody's a bigger Bama homer than me, but successful NFL coaches, which Ryans certainly seems to be early in his career, don't leave for college jobs.

(12-27-2023 03:30 AM)Garden_KC Wrote:  Saban I bet retires win or lose.

2024 is going to be a different animal with UT/OU in the SEC plus the 12 team playoff.

Saban will thrive in the 12-team playoff. The Tide hasn’t finished outside the Top 12 in the past 16 seasons under him.

He s/ take a retirement job at Toledo. If he was that good he could win Toledo a national championship

Or go to the NFL

(12-26-2023 10:01 PM)GreenFreakUAB Wrote:  ...I've been seeing lots of stuff on FB () indicating this, 'confirmation' from his daughter (again, ) that if Bama wins it all this year, Saban steps down...

...the ONLY thing which MAY lend credence to this is... well, Saban is 72, albeit a quite spry 72 - no doubt he could coach 4-5 more years at least.
ALSO, I KNOW he just isn't a fan of the NIL / Portal era of things, even tho Bama will not be adversely affected by it, but it's just more stuff to hassle with for him.
AND, there's also no doubt that Nick seems to be overall a LOT more 'at ease' these past few seasons, especially this year, at least away from the sidelines - makes you wonder if he's thinking it will be a perfect endingto his career to go out on top...

Just wondering if y'all have any 'take' on this, especially our Crimson folks...

THIS HAD LEGS. GreenFreakUAB called it.

Apparently he's calling it a career if he loses to Michigan.

(01-10-2024 05:28 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(12-26-2023 10:01 PM)GreenFreakUAB Wrote:  ...I've been seeing lots of stuff on FB () indicating this, 'confirmation' from his daughter (again, ) that if Bama wins it all this year, Saban steps down...

...the ONLY thing which MAY lend credence to this is... well, Saban is 72, albeit a quite spry 72 - no doubt he could coach 4-5 more years at least.
ALSO, I KNOW he just isn't a fan of the NIL / Portal era of things, even tho Bama will not be adversely affected by it, but it's just more stuff to hassle with for him.
AND, there's also no doubt that Nick seems to be overall a LOT more 'at ease' these past few seasons, especially this year, at least away from the sidelines - makes you wonder if he's thinking it will be a perfect endingto his career to go out on top...

Just wondering if y'all have any 'take' on this, especially our Crimson folks...

THIS HAD LEGS. GreenFreakUAB called it.

...well, the "even a blind squirrel" mantra applies here , but... I guess there seemed to be a few signs 'locally' that were interesting, even tho 99% of things come from 'spotty sources', to say the least.

I DO have a bud from high school who was a student manager for the Bama BBall team back in the late 80's (during Wimp's best run, including the team that got beat out in the tourney by Pittino's Providence (FF team w/Donovan playing)), so he has a bit of 'inside' knowledge (still has 'buds' within the AD in T-town), at least more than the 'average Bammer on the street'... ironically, we had lunch just before Christmas with a few other old HS buds, and he was showing pics of how he was recently allowed to enter the private office of Saban - which, according to him, was a nearly impossible thing for ANYone to do, even high-level staffers... may just have been a 'fluke thing', but that somehow got me to thinking things may be winding down for Saban, not sure why (I doubt anyone knew anything (even Saban) at that time), but just that 'vibe'... The overall changes in the landscape (NIL, Transfer, expansion, etc.) had to be a factor in his decision... not that he coudn't adjust, but... just more hassle, and more adjustments required to 'The Process', I guess...

In any event, I've rooted vehemently against Saban for years, but respect the heck out of what he accomplished - he was one of those rare coaches who forced the entirety of CFB to 'up their game', which for better or worse has seemed to happen... no doubt he is the GOAT.

...altho, as a UAB fan, it just seems a bit odd that Saban will always be 0-1 against that UAB coaching legend Watson Brown (I was there! UAB13-LSU10 in 2000 (hey, I HAD to work that in, right? ))

Answer to question is No. but if he doesn't win one for the 3rd year in a row he is out.

(01-11-2024 11:03 AM)goodknightfl Wrote:  Answer to question is No. but if he doesn't win one for the 3rd year in a row he is out.

...yeah, the 'original title' for this thread did not materialize, and if anything, I figured he would try a few more years to grab that one last NC... ...but I think he's just ready to relax... they just completed their 'retirement house' or whatever, somewhere, which is always an interesting 'marker' for impending retirement...

...the ONLY intersting thing is he retires with 292 wins... may be the engineer in me, but it would seem like he would have stayed one more year just to get over the 300 mark (stat geek time) - it just would seem a bit more 'complete' or whatever...