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Sources: Alabama coach Nick Saban retiring with 7 national titles

Nick Saban, one of college football's coaching greats who won seven national championships and turned Alabama back into a national powerhouse that included six of those titles, has informed the Crimson Tide that he is retiring, sources told ESPN's Chris Low on Wednesday.

Saban, 72, just completed his 17th season at Alabama, which ended in a loss to eventual national champion Michigan in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl. In 17 seasons, he won 201 games -- tied with Vince Dooley (Georgia) for the second-most wins at a single school in SEC history, behind only Bear Bryant, who won 232 games in his 25 seasons with Alabama.

Under Bryant, Alabama reached dynastic heights, winning 13 SEC championships and six national titles. Saban returned the Crimson Tide to those heights, winning nine conference crowns and six more national championships.

In his 28 years as a college head coach -- a career that included seven national championships, 12 conference titles (11 SEC, 1 MAC) and 19 bowl game wins -- Saban never had a losing season. His worst seasons were in 1996 and 1998 at Michigan State (finished .500).

He made a two-year foray into the NFL with the Miami Dolphins before returning to college football to revive one of college football's most storied programs, which hadn't won a national title in 15 years. He won more games in 17 seasons at Alabama (201) than the Crimson Tide won in the 24 seasons between Bryant's retirement and Saban's hiring (171).

Nick Saban Head Coaching Record
SEASONS TEAM W-L
1990 Toledo 9-2
1995-99 Michigan State 34-24-1
2000-04 LSU 48-16
2005-06 Dolphins 15-17
2007-23 Alabama 201-29
-- ESPN Stats & Information
Saban is 292-71-1 as a college head coach, ranking him sixth all-time in the FBS in wins, and 12th in NCAA college football history regardless of division. His career included stops at Toledo, Michigan State and LSU, where he also won a national title. But Alabama is where he cemented his status as one of college football's greatest coaches.

Alabama has won at least 10 games in 16 straight seasons under Saban, the longest streak by any program in the AP Poll era (since 1936). This despite playing 107 games against AP-ranked teams during Saban's tenure, 14 more than any other program.

He might have lasted just two season in the NFL, but he continued to coach NFL talent since coming to Alabama. The Crimson Tide had three players selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, which included the Tide's first No. 1 overall pick in the Common Draft era (since 1967) in Bryce Young. Saban has had 49 players selected in the first round -- including 44 at Alabama -- the most of any coach in the Common Draft era.

Saban's seven BCS/CFP national championship wins since 1998 are more than double the amount of any other head coach. Urban Meyer is next with three (Florida, Ohio State), followed by Georgia's Kirby Smart and Clemson's Dabo Swinney with two each.

The Crimson Tide has reached the College Football Playoff in eight of the 10 seasons in the CFP era.

Saban didn't sound like a coach looking to give up the job any time soon, telling ESPN in November, "I've always said that if you're thinking about retirement, you're probably already retired, and I'm not there yet."

Alabama's odds to win next season's national championship moved from 6-1 to 8-1 at ESPN BET after Saban's retirement was reported. The Crimson Tide have the third-shortest odds, behind Georgia and Ohio State.