Nick Saban reveals the first time he heard rumors about his retirement: "That started about five years ago"

Nick Saban retirement rumors crop up every time Alabama does not win a national championship, or the program is having a tough time. They have become part of college football lore.

After being usurped as the Southeastern Conference topdogs by his former assistant Kirby Smart of Georgia, the preseason polls further pushed Nick Saban into obscurity, ranking Alabama a distant No. 4.

The timid loss against the Texas Longhorns and their coach, Steve Sarkisian, a former assistant and part of the famed Nick Saban coaching tree, brought forth a fresh batch of Saban retirement rumors.

Appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show" before Week 3's action, Saban firmly put the rumors to bed.

"It’s kind of laughable," Saban said Thursday. "I guess I would ask you when’s the first time you heard I was gonna retire? That started about five years ago. I think it creates some advantages for people, whether it’s in recruiting or whatever it might be. I love what I’m doing. I’m focused on the challenge.

"I’ve always said I don’t want to ride the program down. I don’t want to do this if I can’t do it anymore. I feel great right now. I love it. We’ve got lots of challenges this season. I’m looking forward to it. We’re all in."

Appearing on "The Paul Finebaum Show," ESPN's "College GameDay" host Rece Davis recently commented on the end of Nick Saban's Alabama dynasty:

"This dynasty has run on longer, far longer, and more consistently than any other in the history of the sport. It's not going to last forever, and when you say that they are not the dominant program in the sport right now, it doesn't mean that they aren't a great program, they still are.

"The difference is that right now they look like a top-12 type team instead of a top two, and that for them is a big difference and something to aspire to."

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The Nick Saban retirement rumors are gathering steam

Saban started the 2023 season aged 71, and back in March, he spoke candidly to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith about his retirement plans.

"I'm also very aware that I don't want to ever ride the program down. In other words, there's going to come a time when my age and my circumstance, everybody's going to be able to tell somebody where he's not gonna be there," Saban said.

He also acknowledged that his overstaying his welcome could only harm the program.

"I mean, 'How long is he going to coach? Til he's 90?' And that will start to affect the program maybe in an adverse way. I don't want to get there," Saban said.

Nick Saban has been written off many times in the past, but he has always come back strongly. It will be interesting to observe whether he has another national championship in him with this inexperienced Alabama Crimson Tide side.