Fact-check: Did Nick Saban get fired? Former Alabama HC's departure from college football explored

Nick Saban’s tenure at Alabama ended this week when the coach announced his retirement after 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa. His time with the Crimson Tide was largely successful and helped establish him as arguably the best coach in the history of college football.

Following the end of the 2023 season, in which Alabama made it to the College Football Playoff, not many expected a Crimson Tide with no Saban in the 2024 season. This has pretty much made the details of his exit from the program a sketchy one to many college fans.

Let’s look at the details of Saban’s exit from Alabama.

Did Nick Saban get fired?

Rose Bowl Game - Alabama v Michigan

Alabama did not terminate Nick Saban’s contract. The coach decided to retire from coaching, which lasted over four decades.

Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007 following a two-year tenure in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins. He notably arrived at the program with loads of experience in the landscape, having previously handled LSU, Michigan State and Toledo.

His 17 years in Tuscaloosa saw him build a team that dominated college football. Under Saban, Alabama secured the national championship six times and the Southeastern Conference championship nine times. He also won the SEC Western Division ten times.

Why did Nick Saban retire?

2023 SEC Championship - Georgia v Alabama

Nick Saban’s exit was not what many people saw coming. The coach said that the reason behind his unexpected retirement is attributed to the challenges posed by his age. He conveyed that the increasing difficulty in fulfilling the responsibilities led to this decision.

"Last season was difficult for me from just a health standpoint, not necessarily having anything major wrong, but just being able to sustain and do things the way I want to do them, the way I've always done them," Saban said (h/t Yahoo Sports).

"It just got a little bit harder. So you have to decide, 'OK, this is sort of inevitable when you get to my age.'"

Alabama has swiftly moved on from Saban’s era and will commence the next chapter. The Crimson Tide has brought in Kalen DeBoer as the 28th head coach of the program following his successful tenure at Washington in the last two years.