"I don't regret that": 7x national champ Nick Saban stands tall on decision to retire following "hard" 2023 season

Nick Saban, considered one of the greatest coaches in college football, has no regrets about retiring after a tough 2023 season.

Saban helped the Crimson Tide team secure an impressive six national championships and nine Southeastern Conference titles, along with other achievements. Despite their successful 12-2 run in the 2023 college football season, he opened up about having a difficult year due to the players' attitude.

Coach Saban also talked about the changed college football environment owing to NIL and the transfer portal, which are the two main factors that nudged him towards the decision to retire.

During the 2024 SEC Media Days, Nick Saban spoke about his decision and what he misses following his retirement:

"The relationships of players. I think this thing that I'm doing now, like I did the draft, sec Media Day, game day in the fall, it keeps me involved in the game. So I watch film, I make my own evaluations of players, so the technical aspects of the game I still do some degree.

"The biggest thing I miss is the relationships with the people, the players, the coaches, the staff, and all the people that you work with, being a part of the team. I also got to the point where it was difficult for me to sustain things the way I needed to sustain myself that I was doing a good job. So last year was hard. So I said, maybe it's time for somebody else. I don't regret that."

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Joel Klatt gives nod of approval to Nick Saban's successor Kalen DeBoer

Following Nick Saban's departure from Alabama, fans were both worried and shocked about the program's future. However, their concerns were soon put to rest after Kalen DeBoer's appointment as the new coach.

DeBoer has proven himself as a coach everywhere he has been, which is fairly reflected in his 104-12 overall record. Many college football analysts agree that DeBoer is the best choice to take Alabama's legacy forward and even believe him to be an upgrade on Nick Saban:

"Kalen DeBoer is a home run," said Klatt (at 1:29 in the video below). "The guy has won everywhere that he's been. I wouldn't be saying this. Listen if any other program would have hired Taylor or I would have been like oh, they're gonna be better. Right away.