Paul Finebaum makes prediction on when Nick Saban retires

On3 imageby:Griffin McVeigh11/14/21

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Since winning his first championship with Alabama in 2009, Nick Saban has been atop the college football world. Seven career titles throughout his career, just one more than Paul “Bear” Bryant. Six of them are in Tuscaloosa.

With all of the success, the question everyone wants an answer to (besides Alabama fans) is when Saban will retire. Even though he just turned 70 years old on Halloween, the head coach has a contract until the end of the 2028 season.

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum gave his opinion on Saban’s retirement date, saying it may be closer than everyone thinks. Not because he has lost his fastball but because the college football picture could be changing.

“I think the window is short,” Finebaum said on ‘The ESPN College Football Podcast’. “Every time I say that I get blowback but I think that will be easier to answer in a couple of weeks, Matt [Barrie], for this reason. Should he lose to Kirby Smart in the SEC Championship Game, here goes the most dangerous Saban assistant, in my mind, off and perhaps winning a title. That changes the dynamic a little bit.

“Alabama wins a bowl game as they always seem to do when Saban has an off-season, meaning two losses and you could write the ship with a No. 1 ranked recruiting class but I still think there will be a few more doubts. At some point, Saban knows this is not a vintage team. You hear them propping them up opposed to tearing them down. ”

Finebaum says age could be a concern

Saban recently turned 70 years old, being one of the oldest head coaches in the sport. Finebaum points out only one coach has had success in his 70s. Plus, there theoretically is little motivation for the Alabama headman to continue on coaching.

“70 is a weird number,” Finebaum said. “There’s only one coach that’s ever won a title at 70 and that’s Bobby Bowden. Most coaches do not succeed and I think Nick Saban, even though he acts like he has never thought about it, I promise you, Matt, he thinks about it. He doesn’t need the money. Does he really need the challenge? That’s what most people think he’s staying there for. I can’t give you a year but I don’t buy into the contract which is six or seven years away, I really don’t believe that.”

For as long as Saban stays in Tuscaloosa, he will always have one of the most talented teams in the country based on recruiting rankings. Even so, the SEC West is always improving with every team in the division, minus Texas A&M, in the early stages of a new head coach. How much longer Saban will want to compete on a weekly basis will determine his retirement age.