Alabama Football: How long will Nick coach and can anyone ever successfully replace him?

Nick Saban is again the highest paid coach in college football. Alabama football fans wonder how long Nick will coach and can anyone ever successfully replace him.

Alabama football fans are in virtually unanimous agreement that Nick Saban is worth every dollar he earns from the University of Alabama. We are sure no college football coach should ever earn more than Nick. To us, widespread angst over his compensation is trivial and unworthy of debate.

For the minority of the college football world that does not understand, let’s be clear. No school and in fact no team will ever outbid Alabama for Nick Saban. Yes, that includes the NFL.

What does cause Alabama fans pause is how long Nick will choose to coach football. The latest contract extension runs through the 2024 season. During that season Saban will become 73 years old.

Alabama Crimson Tide Football

None of us can see into the future and that includes Nick and Miss Terry. There will come a time when Saban will decide his era at Alabama and his career as a coach will end. It is fair to pose a couple of questions. What would prompt Nick to retire? How long can he coach successfully?

Let’s take how long first. For some perspective, we can look at the history of other coaches. Amos Alonzo Stagg coached football for 68 years, was forced out of one school at 70, moved on and continued coaching until he retired at the age of 96.

Legendary baseball coach and owner Connie Mack ended his coaching career at 88. Joe Paterno coached until he was 84 and Bobby Bowden stepped down at the age of 80.

The winningest coach in college football history, John Gagliardi stepped down at the age of 86. Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, who is 77, plans on continuing in 2017, despite a current battle with throat cancer.

When Gagliardi chose to retire at 86, he said per ESPN.

"“Luckily, I’ve always been blessed with great players, friends, family and support to make it this far. Nobody ever said that getting older was easy. I just can’t do the job at the level I used to anymore.”"

Nick Saban is blessed with a level of support at least as solid as did Gagliardi. Saban will turn a young 66 during the 2017 season. Hopefully and most likely, health will not become an issue for a long time.

It is not a big stretch to believe Saban will not only fully honor his contract through 2024 but continue beyond that date.

Saban recently said he cannot imagine himself doing anything else than coaching football. We think subject to health issues, Nick will coach until he no longer hates losing more than he loves winning.

A pretty big IF could suggest that if Saban cannot maintain his recruiting dominance, losses will at some point become more frequent. Nothing lasts forever. Maybe the suffering of more losses could become the Saban retirement tipping point.

When the Alabama football Saban-Era does finally end, the transition to his successor will be as seismic as it was after Bryant. The conventional wisdom is that following a coaching legend always results in failure.

Tom Osborne and John Robinson did just fine succeeding Bob Devaney and John McKay at Nebraska and USC. Osborne became the greatest coach in Husker history. Jimbo Fisher has done pretty well following Bobby Bowden.

Next: How long before Saban is only SEC coach with a SEC Championship?

There will be plenty of time, years hence when we can agonize over a Saban replacement but don’t expect that to be anytime soon.