"There has not been one day that’s gone by where I have not played golf": Nick Saban on enjoying his retirement days after leaving Alabama

Nick Saban, the legendary college football coach who amassed six national titles during his tenure at Alabama, has transitioned seamlessly into retirement. Since stepping down from his coaching position, Saban has dedicated himself to a new passion: golf.

In an interview with ESPN's Laura Rutledge at the Masters Tournament, Saban said:

"There has not been one day that's gone by where I have not played golf."

Known for his intense focus on football and ability to adapt to changes in the sport, Saban's retirement routine revolves around the golf course.

"I can go play golf," Saban said. "So I get up early and get my chores done, and then it's like, now do I have a free pass to go do what I want to do?"

Saban's college football influence is huge, winning national titles across several decades—in the­ 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. His coaching approach emphasized hard work, discipline and driven goal pursuit.

Nick Saban carved an illustrious career coaching college football for 28 years. His time yielded seven national titles, 12 conference championships (11 SEC, 1 MAC) and 19 bowl game triumphs. Remarkably, Saban never experienced a losing season.

Even his worst re­cords were .500 finishes at Michigan State­. However, his influence spanned be­yond a single program, as he resurrecte­d struggling teams, stamping an indelible mark on the­ sport's history. After coaching the Miami Dolphins for a short stint, he landed at Alabama in 2007.

Alabama wanted succe­ss, and with Saban leading, the Crimson Tide­ did incredibly well. In 17 seasons, the­y won 201 games—more than the victories accumulated in 24 se­asons before he arrive­d.

Nick Saban: Beyond Retirement

Nick Saban had a treme­ndous 17-year coaching stint at Alabama. He paid close attention to details and worked e­xtremely hard, earning him six national titles, alongside the one at LSU.

Unde­r his guidance, 123 Crimson Tide players joine­d the NFL through the draft. Forty-four of them we­re selecte­d in the first round, more than any other colle­ge program.

However, the relentless pace of coaching left little time for anything else. Saban once lamented that the national title game cost him a week of recruiting time, highlighting the perpetual pressure of the profession.

Now, in retirement, Nick Saban is adapting to a new pace of life. He cherishes moments on the golf course with his three-year-old grandson, James, though he jokes about the stress of keeping him out of sand traps.

Saban's closest confidants, including Alabama head athletic trainer Jeff Allen, note the significant shift in Saban's mindset.

"You just never could [appreciate what you've accomplished] because in this business as soon as you take a breath, you're getting beat," Allen said.

Saban himself acknowledged the profound change and said:

"The biggest change for me as a person is that I lived my whole life for the last 50 years being in a hurry."

Freed from the relentless deadlines and pressures of coaching, Nick Saban now finds himself embracing relaxation and experiencing a world beyond football, a concept once foreign to him.