Nick Saban has a contract to coach Alabama football through the 2024 season. Not fulfilling those terms is the farthest thing from his mind.
What will Nick Saban do after he retires from coaching football? Nick has repeatedly said he doesn’t know and even the thought of it scares him. Other than four reasons discussed below, we see no indication Saban will not coach Alabama football through his current contract.
Saban will turn 73 during the 2024 college football season. After last season’s spring practice, former Saban player, Marcus Spears asked Nick how he is different in never getting tired. Nick’s quick response was “tired of what, winning” and elaborated “I hate to lose more than I like winning.”
Saban has explained he has been part of a team for over 50 years, going back to when he was nine. But he has been a head coach for only 22 seasons. Professionally those are the 22 best years of his life. After retirement, there will be nothing to match those years. And as long as Terry Saban is happy in Tuscaloosa, Nick will never coach somewhere else.
How much he is motivated to set new coaching records is not known. Does he aspire to be known as the greatest college football coach of all-time? If he does, he has already reached enough milestones to qualify.
If Saban coaches just through his current contract, he could break some Bear Bryant records. The big record-breaker would be a seventh national championship. He could also become the Tide coach with the most SEC wins. Surpassing Bryant’s 232 wins as an Alabama football coach might take Nick until he is 75.
We doubt any external reward drives Nick Saban. His passion is internally driven. He strives to be the best coach he can be, to make his players the best they can be, on and off the field.
What could shorten’s Nick’s career?
In a recent ESPN story by Chris Lowe, Steve Spurrier is quoted,
"“I told him he won’t retire until he loses three games in a season. He told me, ‘If I ever lose three games around here again, they might kill me.’ I think he was joking, but I’m not sure.”"
Reason No. 1 for Saban retiring sooner rather than later would be tied to losing. Terry Saban once admitted the expectations surrounding Alabama football are sometimes unrealistic. If the Tide has an off year or two, Terry may decide she has had enough of the pressure-cooker.
Obviously, Nick’s health (or Terry’s) could unexpectedly decline, causing Nick to walk away. At some point, rumors of imminent retirement may seriously damage Alabama football recruiting efforts. It eventually happened to Bryant. Saban is not immune. The retooling of the assistant coach staff with younger, hungrier recruiters is meant to counter that issue.
What is unlikely to happen is for Nick Saban to ever stop loving what he does. Or for him to stop loving doing it at the University of Alabama. Inevitably he will one day decide he can no longer perform to the highest standard – the one he sets for himself.
When that moment comes, he will retire. Our guess is that does not happen before 2024 or 2025 or 2026…
Next: Nick Saban's Greatest Coaching Performance
Just for the sake of conjecture, consider this. If Nick does retire after the 2024 season, Dabo will only be 55. That is plenty of time for another decade-plus championship run.