College Football coaching legend Nick Saban retiring at age 72

In gigantic news on Wednesday, college football coaching legend Nick Saban of Fairmont, West Virginia has announced his retirement from coaching at the age of 72. Saban could be considered one of the greatest college football coaches of all-time. He has a career record of 297 wins, 71 losses, and one tie with a winning percentage of .806. Saban was with the University of Toledo Rockets in 1990, the Michigan State University Spartans from 1995 to 1999, the Louisiana State University Fighting Tigers from 2000 to 2004, and the University of Alabama Crimson Tide from 2007 to 2023.

Saban’s 297 victories are 15th all-time in College Football. However, among the 14 coaches ahead of Saban, he ranks second in winning percentage. The only coach with a higher winning percentage is Larry Kehres of Diamond, Ohio, who coached the University of Mount Union from 1986 to 2012. He had a winning percentage of .929 as he had a record of 332 wins and 25 losses in 27 seasons at the helm. It should be noted that the University of Mount Union is only a Division III University, and not part of the elite schools or conferences in the United States when it comes to college football.

Seven-time National Champion

Saban won seven national championships during his time coaching collegiate football. He guided Louisiana State University to the 2003 national title, and then won six times with the Crimson Tide in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020. Saban’s seven national championships are the most ever among college football coaches. Saban has one more title than Bear Bryant of Moro Bottom, Arkansas, who won six national championships with the Crimson Tide.

Also coached the Miami Dolphins

Between his time coaching LSU and Alabama, Saban spent two seasons coaching the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League. He was there from 2005 to 2006. In that time, the Dolphins had a record of 15 wins and 17 losses. The Dolphins had a winning record of nine wins and seven losses in Saban’s first year at the helm, but Miami missed the playoffs.