Kristen Saban, daughter of Nick Saban reveals her first reaction when Miss Terry broke the retirement news to her: “I was like, No, he won't”

Nick Saban's daughter, Kristen Saban, came to know about her dad's retirement plans through her mom, Terry Saban. In a recent interview, she revealed that Miss Terry sent her a text message saying that they were having a conversation about the timeline of the decision. The 28-year-old also talked about her initial reaction to the message.

Coach Saban recently stepped down as the Alabama Crimson Tide head coach. The sudden announcement stunned all, as the fans expected the legendary coach to give it another go after falling agonizingly short of the national title this year. And it looks like even his daughter fell into that same category.

“I got a text message from my mom that morning. And she's like, Hey, you know, I just want to let you know, we've been having kind of conversations. And we don't know if it's happening today for sure. But I think he's kind of giving himself a timeline. So just, you know, heads up,” Kristen told WVTM 13.

But she wasn't ready to believe what she was hearing. Kristen said she dismissed the message, which later turned out to be right on money.

“I was like, No, he won't,” Kristen added.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 02: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates after defeating the Georgia Bulldogs 27-24 in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 02, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Well, she wasn't alone. The college football world couldn't believe the news when it first broke. Neither could Coach Saban's former quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. As the news became harder to deny, everyone just took a bitter gulp and came to terms with it.

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How did Kristen Saban react when the Nick Saban retirement news became public?

While Kristen Saban had been given a heads-up by her mom, Terry, she didn't believe it at first. She said that she was on a flight when it became public, and she immediately contacted her mother again to confirm it. Miss Terry confirmed the news, saying that she had already given her a heads-up.

According to Kristen, she then had to excuse herself to the bathroom, where she started sobbing as it hit her that the seven-time national champion head coach was really bringing down the curtains on his legendary coaching career that spanned five decades.