“Showing your a*s and being frustrated” - $70 million worth Nick Saban breaks silence on moments that nudged him toward retirement

Saban announced his retirement as Alabama Crimson Tide head coach earlier this year after Alabama lost to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

Initially, Saban listed age and health concerns as the reasons for his retirement:

"My age started becoming a little bit of an issue [recruiting & hiring coaches]. People wanted assurances I would be here [for years] and it got harder and harder to be honest about. This last season was grueling, it was a real grind."

According to Marca, Saban has an estimated net worth of $70 million. He expressed disappointment in how his players acted after the OT loss to Michigan in the college football semifinals. It was after the Rose Bowl pushed him toward retirement.

"I want to be clear that wasn't the reason, but some of those events certainly contributed," Saban said regarding his decision to retire to ESPN. "I was really disappointed in the way that the players acted after the game. You gotta win with class. You gotta lose with class."

"We had our opportunities to win the game and we didn't do it, and then showing your ass and being frustrated and throwing helmets and doing that stuff ... that's not who we are and what we've promoted in our program."

Nick Saban says his message wasn't resonating anymore

Nick Saban's retirement was a big surprise given he still had success as a coach.

However, Saban feels that his message as a coach does not resonate with players as much as it used to.

"I thought we could have a hell of a team next year, and then maybe 70 or 80 percent of the players you talk to, all they want to know is two things: What assurances do I have that I'm going to play because they're thinking about transferring, and how much are you going to pay me?" Saban recounted.

"Our program here was always built on how much value can we create for your future and your personal development, academic success in graduating and developing an NFL career on the field.

"So I'm saying to myself, 'Maybe this doesn't work anymore, that the goals and aspirations are just different and that it's all about how much money can I make as a college player?' I'm not saying that's bad. I'm not saying it's wrong, I'm just saying that's never been what we were all about, and it's not why we had success through the years."

Saban was the Alabama Crimson Tide head coach for 17 years. He went 201-29 and won six national championships with the team.