Why did Nick Saban retire? Alabama HC breaks silence on retirement decision

In a surprise to many in the college football world, legendary coach Nick Saban announced that he's retiring from the Alabama Crimson Tide.

He has been coaching since 1973 and was the coach for the Roll Tide since 2008. Saban is going to be remembered as one of the best coaches in sports history for his success, winning seven national championships and a career record of 292-71-1.

In a statement he released to announce his retirement, Saban thanked everyone at the University of Alabama.

"The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me. We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. ... We will always consider Alabama our home." h/t CBS Sports

However, people have begun to speculate why Saban would retire now. Let's explore why he would leave the sidelines at this point.

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Why did Nick Saban retire?

Nick Saban met with the team on Wednesday to discuss his decision to retire from coaching.

Many believed that he would still coach but that the end of the road could be coming up soon. However, at 72, Saban called it quits on his coaching career, and according to ESPN, he cited health and age as the two main reasons for the announcement.

"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 & harder to be honest about. This last season was grueling, it was a real grind," Saban said in an interview with ESPN.

It makes a lot of sense, as Saban has visually taken a step back in terms of competing for the national championship. This is the longest stretch between college football national championships as the coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. The announcement came out of left field, as he reportedly was going through regular coaching activities on Wednesday.

While Saban did not have any publicly known illnesses at the time of his retirement, it does not mean he has not been dealing with something.

Who is predicted to replace Nick Saban?

Since the last two days, multiple names have been reported as favorites to replace Nick Saban at Alabama,

However, according to reports from Kennington Smith III and Bruce Feldman of the Athletic, Crimson Tide OC Tommy Rees, Florida State head coach Mike Norvell, and Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer are currently leading the race in Alabama's coaching search.

The announcement of the new head coach could also come as early as Friday, the report continues.

Replacing Nick Saban is a tall task for any head coach in football, Alabama AD Greg Byrne has talked about the qualities the school will be looking for in the new leader of the football program.

The physical and mental toll of coaching and recruiting for one of the premier college football programs carries a lot of pressure. Saban's career is now inked dry, and he will ride off into the sunset. It will be interesting to see how college football looks without him.