Is Nick Saban sick? Exploring reasons behind former HC's retirement

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban retiring was not on many CFB fan's bingo cards. The announcement caught everyone by surprise, and the implications of the news are still reverberating within college football.

The tributes poured in thick and fast as the CFB fraternity grapples with a future without the legendary coach who had become a staple in the college football realm.

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Nick Saban explains his retirement

A day after his bombshell news, Nick Saban moved on with his active life. He provided ESPN analyst Rece Davis an in-depth explanation about his retirement decision.

He cited the increasing demand placed on his time last season as he tried to nurture a young Alabama team after a rocky start to the campaign.

“To be honest, this last season was grueling,” Saban said. “It was a real grind for us to come from where we started to where we got to. It took a little more out of me than usual. When people mentioned the health issue, it was really just the grind.”

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

Is Nick Saban sick?

No, Nick Saban or Terry Saban are not sick, and the former head coach clarified that this was not the reason behind his retirement in an interview with ESPN's Rece Davis. Saban said:

"There’s no illness. Miss Terry’s fine. I’m fine," Nick Saban said. "But it was the, can you sustain the season–just from a mental grind standpoint. When I was young, I could work until 2 in the morning, get up at 6, and be there the next day and be full of energy and go for it."

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders cited a different reason behind the legendary Alabama coach's retirement, though, tweeting:

“WOW! College Football just lost the GOAT to retirement. Wow!” Sanders wrote. “I knew it would happen (one) day soon but not this soon. The game has change(d) so much that it chased the GOAT away. College football let's hold up our mirrors and say HONESTLY what (do you) see.”

While Saban's retirement could be a combination of factors, his last season defined his high standards because despite reaching the CFP semifinals, he still considered it a failure, encapsulating what he was all about.