People look forward to retirement due to the endless amount of opportunities it provides -- and because they no longer have to do something 40 hours per week that might've made them miserable. For those like now-former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, hanging up the whistle is so difficult because of how much pride he takes in the job. Most of Saban's personal identity is grounded in coaching, and his golden tenure in Tuscaloosa that lasted 17 seasons -- and included six national championships – was easily his best.
As much as Saban genuinely loves mentoring players, shouting while on the sidelines, and, of course, winning games, this was the time to walk away. At the age of 72, he's in the fourth quarter of life. It'll be odd not seeing him on sidelines next season, but he too is allowed to enjoy the later chapter of his life. He's also earned the right to walk away on his own terms. It's best to go out as a retiree than someone who's forced out.
There were few (actually, zero) signs the Crimson Tide were slowing down -- this year's display of coaching may've been Saban's best. No head coach in the game would've been able to lead his squad to a College Football Playoff appearance after bouncing between three different quarterbacks in the early going. Jalen Milroe is arguably the least talented signal caller Saban ever had in Tuscaloosa, yet he still came close to leading them to another national title game, and he's widely being discussed as one of the game's better players.
Still, there was evidence that the new era of college football was starting to catch up to Saban. As much as he tried to downplay the transfer portal and player empowerment from NIL deals, it all bothered him. Saban successfully navigated both fronts, however, as he reached the CFP in three of the past four seasons and won his most recent championship during the pandemic- impacted season in 2020. Battling adversity was never an issue for him, but the grouchy grandpa was growing tired, and he didn't want to keep catering to everyone else's needs in the new world he lived in.
That fatigue within the Alabama program showed in a loss to Saban's former assistant, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, and in wobbly victories against Arkansas, Texas A&M, and South Florida. The Crimson Tide's season-ending loss to Michigan at the Rose Bowl illustrated that they might not be capable of returning to the peak of the college football mountain. Very few coaches have an opportunity to go out on top, and this was Saban's invitation to ride off into the sunset as an icon.
Could he have won another national championship? Perhaps. But it wasn't worth the risk, and the day-to-day responsibilities of his job weren't as fun anymore. Retiring was a safe option for Saban, considering he had nothing left to prove. All in all, he was able to end things on a relatively high note.
Speaking of 72-year-old head coaches, Pete Carroll's surprising departure from the Seahawks (he'll take over as an advisor there) overshadowed the Saban news a tad, as that announcement occurred just a few hours earlier. Carroll's transition, on the heels of Mike Vrabel leaving the Titans, could be part of a new NFL movement, of standing head coaches walking away from their situations if things don't feel right.
It doesn't take an expert to realize Carroll and Vrabel are in entirely different situations. Vrabel clearly felt like he had a bare-bones roster with the Titans and no organizational support. As for Carroll, he just needed changes, or at least so it seems. With only 32 head coaching jobs in the NFL, it was once rare for teams to have mutual feelings of discontent.
Vrabel's exit is much more intriguing, as he completely upended the league's coaching carousel and instantly became the most attractive candidate on the market. Similar to how the college football transfer portal forced coaches like Saban to re-recruit kids on the active roster, NFL owners may now be forced to up the ante and sweeten a standing head coach's contract to prevent them from leaving for a better job.
If team ownership isn't providing adequate resources to a head coach, and is poorly backing them from the general manager on down, the coach would be better off searching for a team that better positions their people for success. This was only the first instance, and now that other NFL head coaches have an opportunity to catch on, expect this trend to continue.
This year's market possesses plenty of talent with Vrabel, Bill Belichick, and potentially Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh all on the market. The names should cause some teams to ponder firing their standing head coach, if they haven't made the decision already. This year's crop of attractive choices will change the way some "we're one coach away from success" teams think.
Vrabel's 54-45 record over six seasons with the Titans, which included three playoff berths and an AFC Championship appearance, was overshadowed by a 13-21 mark in the past two seasons. It's important to keep in mind all of that was done with veteran Ryan Tannehill and rookie Will Levis at the quarterback position. So, that's not exactly setting a coach up for smashing success.
A similar predicament for Carroll, who was 50 games above the .500 mark at 170-120-1 and didn't look as elite with veteran journeyman Geno Smith under center. Both coaches breathed second lives into quarterbacks that were left for dead, earning them big contracts in the process. But there was a ceiling, and the limitations were enough to make Vrabel and Carroll seek alternatives.
The overachieving Seahawks were never going to force old-man Carroll out. The sides were a perfect match, and it's impossible to see his replacement balling out. We'll never know the full story with Carroll or Vrabel, but it's clear their patience waned. Good coaches are hard to find, and rightfully so, they felt like they deserved better. Just like a romantically desirable partner who leaves a bad relationship, the up-and-coming Vrabel should have plenty of suitors for his next destination.
