Sports

Nick Saban Denies Ms. Terry Influenced Retirement As Rumors Swirled About Her Health

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Nick Saban and wife, Terry, on the field after an Alabama football game.

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Head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement decision on Wednesday, sending shockwaves throughout the college football world. Arguably the greatest coach in the history of the sport, he’ll hang it up after 17 seasons on the sidelines in Tuscaloosa.

That tenure includes six titles (and a 7th at LSU!), a plethora of SEC championships, and 200+ wins with the Crimson Tide.

This past season, he took the team to a College Football Playoff appearance before falling to eventual national champion Michigan in overtime. Who knew his final moment on the sidelines would be a botched snap at the Rose Bowl?

Despite the deflating end to the year, this season is considered one of Saban’s top coaching jobs.

The Crimson Tide struggled early on with issues under center, dropping a matchup with Texas at home. They turned it around after a close call with South Florida, though, and went on to run the table in the SEC.

That ended with an upset of top-ranked, two-time defending champion Georgia.

Seeing the late-season momentum and another conference title, not many expected Nick Saban to announce his retirement this offseason.

When he did, many asked why.

Nick Saban denies Miss Terry influenced retirement decision.

One of the rumors to trend on social media involved his wife’s health.

He debunked those claims in an interview with ESPN’s Rece Davis.

“There’s no illness,” Saban said. “Ms. Terry’s fine, I’m fine. It was, ‘Can you sustain the season from a mental grind standpoint?’… When you get a little older, that gets a little tougher.”

Saban decided it was the right time, which is certainly better than the alternative. He and Ms. Terry can now ride off into the sunset and enjoy retirement.