"The game will never be the same again" is a quote one utters whenever a legendary sports personality walks away from the sport he dominated.
As cliché as it may sound, on Wednesday, it did not when Nick Saban announced his retirement after coaching the Alabama Crimson Tide football team for 17 years.
His shocking announcement stung everyone, not just the Alabama football team players and supporters.
Alabama recently made the 72-year-old tactician the highest-paid college football coach, the reason why his retirement surprised many people.
Saban went out on his terms. He just led his team to the Final Four of the College Football Playoff Championships.
On top of that are seven national titles - six with Alabama and one with the Louisiana State University Tigers.
He also left a legacy that goes beyond football.
Is he the greatest college football coach? The consensus says he is.
Read more: Bill Belichick Out - The End of an Empire
It is a bittersweet ending to his career. In the years to come, fans can content themselves with the nostalgic moments Saban left not just as a coach but also as a person.
Top five most memorable moments from the college football coaching GOAT
1. Getting hailed as Most Powerful Coach in Sports (2008)
Saban joined Alabama and found a team that almost had no identity. His debut season ended in a 7-6 record.
The story was flipped in his second season as he led the team to a 12-0 regular season record, the first-ever undefeated season in his career and the first for Crimson Tide since 1994. In the same year, Forbes hailed him as the Most Powerful Coach in Sports of 2008.
The title has little less to do with football, though. The result was what was expected of him. He got the title because of how he changed the coverage of college American football.
Around 92,000 fans showed up in his first spring practice while revenues for the Division 1-a colleges reached $2 billion, up 25% in four years.
He commands attention wherever he goes.
2. Three championships in four years (2012)
Saban and the Crimson Tide fell short in 2008 after losing to Tim Tebow-lead Florida Gators at the SEC.
The legendary coach was not unfazed and instead declared and addressed fans at a rally in Tuscaloosa that "this is not the end. This is the beginning."
True enough, Alabama's domination of college football started after that year.
The team won the 2009 national title and followed it up by becoming America's best college football team in 2011 and 2012.
By 2013, there was no disputing anymore that he was already the nation's best college-ranks coach.
3. Covid and Black Lives Matter
"The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be, and be more successful in life because they were part of the program," Saban said during his retirement announcement.
This has been what he is all about as a mentor. He especially showed how important keeping in touch with his players outside of the gridiron when the COVID-19 pandemic halted the world, followed by a massive Black Lives Matter protest.
His players took the initiative to join the protest, and Saban shielded them from criticism.
"In this moment in history, we can't be silent. We must speak up for our brothers and sisters, for our sons and daughters," he said. "Until I listen with an open heart and mind, I can't understand his experience and his pain."
4. Eliminating three teams with one play called Gravedigger
Alabama was on the brink of elimination in the Iron Bowl, down 20-24 with just a few seconds left.
Saban displayed his genius by calling a play that stunned fans due to its difficulty.
Jalen Milroe took his time and took seconds to find Isiah Bond in the corner of the end zone. Bond corralled the pass against Auburn cornerback D.J. James and converted a winning touchdown with 32 seconds remaining in the clock.
The chances of the situation making that play necessary were low, yet Saban and the crew were ready for it.
JALEN MILROE TO ISAIAH BOND ON 4TH AND GOAL FROM THE 31 YARD LINE
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) November 26, 2023
ALABAMA LEADS 27-24 🤯🤯🤯
(via @CBSSports)pic.twitter.com/oyhKAUB4I9
The win against Auburn also eventually eliminated Georgia and Florida State.
5. Nick Saban's powerful quotes
He's like Friday Night Lights. Eric Taylor in the flesh. Saban could also pass as a motivational speaker with his inspiring talk.
His best one came out when he beat his former team, LSU, in 2008, introducing his mentality as Alabama coach.
"How much does this game mean to you? Because if it means something to you, you can't stand still. You understand? You play fast. You play strong. You go out there and dominate the guy you're playing against, and make his ass quit! That's our trademark! That's our M.O. as a team! That's what people know us as!"
Related article: Nick Saban Contract and Salary: What's Next for Alabama Crimson Tide Coach After Rose Bowl Game Loss?
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