Nick Saban: The players’ reactions to the Rose Bowl defeat “contributed” to their retirement decision
Jan. 10 marked Saban’s retirement from Alabama after 17 seasons and six national titles.
Nick Saban was not pleased with his team’s response to the Rose Bowl setback.
On January 1, Alabama lost the College Football Playoff game 27–20 to Michigan, the eventual national champion. Jalen Milroe’s fourth-down run was halted at the line of scrimmage, which led to the overtime defeat. After a low snap that looked like a planned run/pass option, Milroe streaked into the end zone.
Less than two weeks after the game, Saban surprised the college football world by announcing his retirement. It turned out to be the last one of his career. In an article detailing his decision to step down and Alabama’s subsequent coaching hunt, Saban described to ESPN how certain members of his squad behaved just after the defeat.
Additionally, Saban discussed how his choice was impacted by the way the college football scene is evolving. He calculated that “maybe 70 or 80% of the players you talk to” were interested in learning how much money they would be getting in NIL for the forthcoming season and how much playing time they would have.
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