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Nick Saban agrees to eight-year extension with Alabama

By John Buhler

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Alabama head coach Nick Saban walks on the red carpet before the start of the NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Alabama head coach Nick Saban walks on the red carpet before the start of the NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban has agreed to an eight-year contract extension to stay in Tuscaloosa through the 2024 NCAA season.

Don’t expect Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban to call it a career anytime soon. Saban may be 65 years old, but Saban plans to coach the Crimson Tide for the foreseeable future.

On Tuesday morning, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne announced Saban has agreed to an eight-year extension to remain Alabama’s head football coach through the 2024 season.

This is shocking for a handful of reasons. There was reason to believe Saban would hang up the headset in a year or two to pursue a lucrative career in television. Saban has the personality and the football acumen to be an elite college football analyst on any of the big sports networks.

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By agreeing to this eight-year extension, it throws any sort of hope that Saban would ever return to the NFL. He previously failed as the head coach of the AFC East’s Miami Dolphins from 2005-2006, going 15-17 in two seasons. Now it doesn’t even seem like a potential vacancy in Indianapolis to coach Andrew Luck can pry Saban out of Tuscaloosa.

The weirdest part is that Saban has reportedly wanted to go out on top and not fade into his 70s like Bobby Bowden, Mack Brown or the late Joe Paterno did. The extension Saban inked with the Crimson Tide will have him as their football coach through his 73rd birthday.

His job security was never in question, but now it’s almost impossible for somebody to get him out of the SEC West. His potential buyout would be utterly insane. Just when the other 13 SEC programs thought there might be light at the end of the tunnel, news of Saban sticking with the Crimson Tide through 2024 has sent shock waves through the Southeastern United States.

Saban holds an 114-19 record in 10 seasons with Alabama and won four national titles. Overall, Saban has a 205-61-1 record at Toledo, Michigan State, LSU and Alabama, winning five national titles.

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