Nick Saban

The NCAA transfer portal window will open for an additional 30 days for Alabama football players after news broke of head coach Nick Saban's retirement.

Cody Goodwin of Bama247 explained the situation.

"Because Alabama played in the College Football Playoff, Crimson Tide players had until Jan. 6 to enter the transfer portal.

"Now, because of Nick Saban's sudden retirement on Wednesday, Alabama players have an additional 30 days to enter the transfer portal if they wish.

"Whenever there's a head-coaching change — a firing, retirement, or if a head coach leaves for another job — players at that school get a 30-day window to freely enter the transfer portal."

ESPN's Chris Low broke the news on Wednesday and added that Saban has already informed the team of his decision.

The 72-year-old Saban just led Alabama to 12 wins, an SEC title and a College Football Playoff appearance. The Crimson Tide entered the CFP as a No. 4 seed before falling 27-20 in overtime to eventual national champion Michigan.

Chris Hummer of 247Sports stated that Alabama has the "most attractive roster in the sport." It's easy to see why, as ESPN's Kevin Clark noted.

With a college football titan in Saban leaving Alabama, it's certainly possible Crimson Tide players have second thoughts about sticking around. That should be a prevalent thought on many coaches' minds.

Baltimore Ravens cornerback (and ex-Alabama star) Marlon Humphrey even admitted that he would be taking off if he was in that position.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders also had a few words.

On the flip side, Alabama has been one of the best programs in the nation for nearly the entirety of Saban's tenure, which began in 2007. It's one of the most prestigious college football schools in the nation and has been on and off for decades, most notably when Bear Bryant ran the show. Crimson Tide players can ultimately choose to stick around and be part of the program as it enters a new era.

As it stands now, we don't know what's going to happen. Maybe there's a mass exodus following the news. Maybe a few players leave at most. We'll find out soon enough, though, as the fallout from Saban's retirement decision develops.

It's going to cost Alabama if it plans on replacing the retired Nick Saban with a high-profile coaching candidate.

ESPN's Chris Low reported Wednesday that the legendary coach is retiring from the sport after winning six national championships in 17 years with the Crimson Tide.

It didn't take long for potential replacements to emerge, as ESPN's Pete Thamel listed Oregon's Dan Lanning, Washington's Kalen DeBoer, Clemson's Dabo Swinney, Penn State's James Franklin, Florida State's Mike Norvell and Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman as a "target list" that will feature "complications and big buyouts, as it's difficult to move entrenched coaches."

Here is a look at some of those buyout figures:

Whoever comes to the Crimson Tide will be asked to fill massive shoes.

Saban went 206-29 with three BCS national championships and three College Football Playoff national titles during his tenure with Alabama. He also won a national championship when he was at LSU and had stops as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Toledo and Michigan State.

Every season is championship-or-bust in Alabama, and that won't change even when Saban is no longer on the sidelines.

Hiring the right coach will surely be worth the money for the SEC powerhouse, even if it comes with a pricey buyout.

The retirement of longtime Alabama coach Nick Saban sent shockwaves through the world of college football on Wednesday, and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders was among those to react to the news.

Sanders took to social media to pay homage to Saban, who he described as the GOAT:

Sanders wasn't alone in holding Saban to such high esteem. Former Alabama running back Mark Ingram II also posted a message to his former coach:

The GOAT moniker is appropriate for Saban, as he won a record seven national championships over his illustrious career. The 72-year-old went 292-71-1 in 28 seasons as a college head coach, ranking sixth all-time on the FBS wins list and 12th in college football history regardless of division. He ends his career with 12 conference titles (11 SEC, 1 MAC) and 19 bowl game wins.

Saban is coming off his 17th season at Alabama, which ended with a loss to eventual national champion Michigan in the Rose Bowl. His 201 wins with the Crimson Tide ties him with former Georgia coach Vince Dooley for second-most in SEC history behind the legendary Bear Bryant, who won 232 games in 25 seasons at Alabama.

Under Saban's leadership, Alabama has produced a slew of NFL stars, as 44 players have been selected in the first round of the NFL draft. 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young was the Crimson Tide's first player to be selected with the top pick in the Common Draft era (since 1967). Saban has produced a total of 49 first-round picks in his career, the most by a single head coach.

Now, Saban gets to enjoy a well-deserved retirement. It remains to be seen if there will ever be a coach to succeed him as college football's GOAT.

The Nick Saban era has come to an end after 17 years with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

ESPN's Chris Low reported Wednesday that the longtime Alabama head coach is retiring and has already informed the Crimson Tide of his decision.

Saban had been head coach of the Crimson Tide since 2007, building one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports.

The 72-year-old accumulated a 206-29 record, nine SEC titles and six national championships during his tenure with the program. He also coached four Heisman Trophy winners—Mark Ingram, Derrick Henry, DeVonta Smith and Bryce Young.

Saban capped off a legendary career with a 2023 season filled with highs and lows as the offense took a while to get comfortable with Jalen Milroe under center. Alabama finished the year with a 12-2 record and a loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

The bombshell report of Saban's retirement stunned college football fans, who are now wondering if the program's dynasty has come to an end:

Saban's retirement should have a ripple effect across college football.

The Crimson Tide raked in the No. 2 ranked recruiting class for 2024, per 247Sports, and currently boasts the No. 3 recruiting class for 2025. With a new regime slated to enter, the program's recruitment will surely see a shakeup.

Saban's retirement could also influence some current players to enter the transfer portal.

It's going to be difficult for Alabama to replace one of the greatest coaches of all time, which is why many believe Alabama's dynasty has come to an end.

A college football titan is walking away from the sport.

Legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban is retiring. The seven-time national champion became the face of the entire sport and built the Crimson Tide into the nation's dominant program throughout his tenure that included six national championships.

"The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me," Saban said in his retirement announcement.

"We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it's about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home."

Terry Saban also released a statement addressing her husband's decision to retire:

Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported Oregon's Dan Lanning is expected to be the "top candidate" to replace Saban, while ESPN's Pete Thamel noted there are a number of high-profile candidates:

On the surface, a 72-year-old coach walking away from a sport where he has nothing left to prove is not particularly surprising.

Yet Saban has been so excellent for so long, it felt like he would always be there dominating college football and adding to an all-time legacy. Just this season alone he led an Alabama team with question marks after early inconsistency to an SEC title and College Football Playoff berth.

The Crimson Tide handed Georgia its first loss since the 2021 campaign to win that SEC championship.

Saban is a legend in every sense of the word.

He started his head coaching career in 1990 by leading Toledo to a 9-2 record before becoming the defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns for four years. He then returned to the college game as the head coach of Michigan State for five years before taking over at LSU in 2000.

Saban's five years with the Tigers included a national title, and he was also the head coach of the Miami Dolphins for two years in 2005 and 2006. However, he will be best remembered for his tenure with the Crimson Tide, which started in 2007 and continued for 17 years of some of the most consistent success in college football history.

In all, he went 206-29 at Alabama and won double-digit games in every one of his seasons except the very first.

It quickly reached a point where it would be shocking for Saban's Crimson Tide teams to not be in national title contention, as they took home BCS championships in the 2009, 2011 and 2012 seasons.

That formula didn't change in the College Football Playoff era, as Alabama won the national title to cap off the 2015, 2017 and 2020 campaigns. They also reached the national championship game in 2016, 2018 and 2021.

While Saban's time as the head coach of Alabama ended with a loss to Michigan in the CFP, he will forever be remembered as one of the sport's greatest winners.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban didn't spring any surprises when he listed off the top teams on his Top 25 Coaches Poll ballot to close out the 2023 season.

Saban had Michigan in the No. 1 slot followed by Washington, Texas, Alabama and Georgia. The top four mirrored the seeding for the College Football Playoff, though the final Coaches Poll had the Bulldogs two spots ahead of the Crimson Tide.

Coaches Poll

1. Michigan 
2. Washington 
3. Georgia 
4. Texas 
5. Alabama 
6. Florida State 
7. Oregon 
8. Missouri 
9. Ole Miss 
10. Ohio State 
11. Arizona 
12. LSU 
13. Penn State 
14. Notre Dame 
15. Oklahoma 
16. Oklahoma State 
17. Tennessee 
18. Louisville 
19. Kansas State 
20. Clemson 
21. North Carolina State 
22. Iowa 
23. Kansas 
24. SMU 
25. West Virginia

Keeping Alabama ahead of Georgia despite the results of bowl season is a defensible position.

The Bulldogs ran roughshod over Florida State in the Orange Bowl. The Seminoles 63-3 defeat was their most lopsided ever, and it prompted Georgia head coach Kirby Smart to call for changes to address the growing number of players opting out of the postseason.

As Smart alluded to, though, that was a much weaker FSU team than the one that finished up the regular season. Georgia was without some key stars as well, but it didn't compare to how much 'Noles head coach Mike Norvell had to adapt.

While the Bulldogs throughly dominated, the victory had a bit of an asterisk in terms of using the result for rankings purposes.

Alabama, meanwhile, fell short in the Rose Bowl, but the Crimson Tide pushed the eventual national champion to overtime. It wasn't an outcome that made you think much less of Saban's squad.

Throw in the head-to-head win over Georgia in the SEC title game, and a case could certainly be made for having the Tide hold strong at No. 4.

The Alabama Crimson Tide are headed home following a 27-20 overtime loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the Rose Bowl, and head coach Nick Saban wishes he could have done more to help his team get the victory.

"This is one of the most amazing seasons in Alabama Football history...I just wish that I could've done more as a coach to help them be successful and help them finish," Saban told reporters after the loss.

Michigan clinched a berth in the College Football Playoff national championship game for the first time in program history when the defense stopped Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe on fourth-and-goal from the three-yard line in overtime.

Wolverines running back Blake Corum scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown on the first possession of the extra frame. It marked his 56th career rushing score, which is a Michigan record.

Neither team's offense played particularly well on Monday night, but Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy outdueled Milroe to help his squad get the victory. He completed 17 of 27 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 25 yards on three carries.

Milroe, meanwhile, completed 16 of 23 passes for 116 yards and rushed for 63 yards on 21 carries.

Running back Jase McClellan was arguably Alabama's best offensive player as he rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries and caught two passes for 11 yards.

While Saban wishes he could have done more to help his team against Michigan, Alabama's loss to the Wolverines caps off what was a rather up-and-down season for the Crimson Tide, which lost to Texas and nearly lost to Auburn before making a miraculous comeback.

Alabama was ultimately selected for the College Football Playoff over undefeated Florida State, likely thanks to the injury to Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis. The Crimson Tide put up a good fight, but they were always viewed as the underdog entering Monday's game.

With Milroe returning to Alabama for the 2024 season, the Crimson Tide figure to have a good chance of bouncing back and getting to the national championship game.

Nick Saban had plenty of critics following Alabama's Week 2 loss to Texas.

Now gearing up to play in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Michigan on Monday, the veteran head coach believes those early criticisms fueled his team.

"We had some really good rat poison early. It was almost like Wheaties," Saban said. "Everybody criticized us and said we weren't any good. We're done and Coach Saban is past his prime and all that. It was like eating Wheaties, you know? Breakfast of champions, that helped us."

Following that loss to Texas, the Tide cruised through the rest of the season, beating then-ranked No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship to solidify their spot in the CFP. Now, Saban is looking to continue proving his critics wrong by dropping Michigan to reach the national championship game.

Saban recognizes his team had a slow start to the season, but he's liked what he's seen recently.

"I think we had bad early, and we've had a lot of good lately," Saban said. "I think we handled the bad well and we've gotta prove that we can handle the good and try to finish the way we like."

Since Saban took over at Alabama in 2007, he's never gone more than two years without winning a national championship, and he's looking to keep that streak alive this season.

First, he'll have to get through a tough Michigan team. The Wolverines come into the matchup undefeated, riding a hot finish to the season. Michigan closed out the season with big wins over Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State without head coach Jim Harbaugh, who was serving a three-game suspension at the time. Michigan then beat Iowa in the Big Ten Championship to earn the No. 1 overall seed in the CFP.

Saban's team faced plenty of criticism early, but now they're looking to silence those critics by winning it all.