Following the retirement of Oklahoma's Bob Stoops earlier this week after spending 18 years leading the Sooners program. Stoops was 56 years old, so the decision came as a surprise to many.
Once the news spread like wildfire across college football, with coaches all over the country weighing in, Nick Saban was eventually asked about his plans for the future by Aaron Suttles of the Tuscaloosa News. In his answer, Saban ended up sharing something that the entire coaching community can relate to, especially those in the twilight of their coaching careers.
Not surprisingly, Saban has no plans to retire as he approaches 66 years old and his 11th year in Tuscaloosa.
“As long as I feel good, I love doing it,” Saban told The Tuscaloosa News. “I’ve said this before. I’ve been a part of a team since I was 9 years old, and it scares me to death to figure what it’s going to be like when I’m not a part of a team."
Most of us are in the same boat if we think about the last time we weren't part of a team environment, so to realize your coaching career is winding down and a staple of your life that has been there forever will soon be absent is a really scary thought.
“As long as I feel healthy and I can do it, we certainly have every intention of trying to do it. If I felt like I couldn’t do it to the standard that I want to do it then I think that would be time not to do it. But I certainly don’t feel like that’s any time soon., Saban added.
Even with the dynasty in Tuscaloosa he's built, and all his SEC and National titles, All-Americans, NFL Draft picks, and the respect he has in the coaching profession it's kind of comforting to see that Saban shares the same fear that many of us do.
Head here to read the full piece from The Tuscaloosa News.