Greg Byrne, Terry Saban Issue Statements After Legendary Tide Coach Retires

TUSCALOOSA, AL — In the wake of the news Wednesday that legendary Alabama head football coach Nick Saban had coached his last college football game, the First Lady of the Crimson Tide, Terry Saban, issued a heartfelt statement that confirmed the news so many are still having a difficult time coming to terms with.

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As Patch reported earlier on Wednesday, ESPN's Chris Low was the first to break the story that Saban had informed his team that he would not be returning for the 2024 season — becoming in a matter of minutes the biggest college football storyline since the introduction of the playoff format.

With a collegiate coaching record of 292–71–1, Saban has won seven national championships — six since becoming the Crimson Tide's head coach in 2007, with one at LSU and the most recent for Alabama being in 2020.

"As with any coaching search, our goal is to be thorough, but expedient," University of Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne said in a statement Wednesday night. " Our ideal candidate will be strong in recruiting and relationship building, player development, excel in Xs and Os and have the overall ability to lead this historic program. There will be plenty of rumors out there during this process. Next time I talk publicly will be to announce our new coach. If you don't hear it from me, don't believe it."

But for locals, Ms. Terry has been the compassionate and philanthropic brilliance behind the community-building success off the field for the Saban family.

"It has been an incredible run these last 17 years at the University of Alabama and we take with us many amazing memories," Terry Saban said in a statement released Wednesday evening by the Nick's Kids Foundation nonprofit. "We hope that the Saban legacy will be about helping others and making a positive difference in people's lives as well as the winning tradition on the field."

The Nick's Kids Foundation — the official charity of the Saban Family established in 1998 during coach's stint as head coach at Michigan State — has distributed over $11 million to hundreds of organizations and causes while undertaking projects like the career tech classrooms at the Tuscaloosa County Juvenile Detention Center, the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk Playground, renovating the STTEP Building of Brewer Porch Children’s Center, building 19 Habitat for Humanity homes and the Alberta School of Performing Arts playground. N

The nonprofit is also credited as a major donor of the Tuscaloosa All-Inclusive Playground at Sokol Park, along with the Saban Discovery Center that is currently being developed at the former site of the Tuscaloosa News headquarters.

"Our Nick's Kids Foundation will continue to help children, student, and teacher causes in the State of Alabama," Terry Saban said on Wednesday. "The rules for the game of football may change, but the 'process' will never go out of style: hard work, discipline, the relentless pursuit of a worthy goal, not cutting corners, and doing things the right way for the sake of constant personal improvement, not for the scoreboard. Alabama will always feel like 'Sweet Home' to our family, and we'll be cheering 'Roll Tide'!"

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