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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Mike McDaniel

Nick Saban Has the Perfect Response for Players Who Ask When He’ll Retire

Alabama’s season ended with an overtime loss to Michigan in Monday’s Rose Bowl, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that 72-year-old Nick Saban’s career is coming to a close.

While the longtime coach of the Crimson Tide didn’t directly address whether or not he’s calling it a career, he did address a question regarding the frequency of the speculation around his retirement.

“I’m getting old, I guess,” Saban said on Thursday’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show. “Look, I ask everybody who asks me that question, ‘Are you going to be here for four years?’ Some players ask me when I’m going to retire. I look at them and say, ‘Can you guarantee me that you’re going to be here for four years?’ 

“They look at me like, ‘Hell, no.’ ... just think it’s the way of the world now.”

Saban didn’t indicate whether or not he considering retirement, but his recent recruiting classes and his excitement about coaching is still present, even if he takes issue with NIL and how it’s shaping the college landscape.

Time will tell whether or not Saban leads the Crimson Tide out of the tunnel to open 2024, but fresh off an SEC championship and a College Football Playoff appearance, there’s no clear indication that he’s slowing down anytime soon.

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