NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
Nick Saban was looking at the clock, sitting in his chair. He had 5 minutes until the meeting with the Alabama football team. In the meantime, he was on the phone with his wife, Terry.
Saban was deciding which speech he was about to give the team, he later told ESPN. Then he walked into the Crimson Tide’s team meeting room and gave the one about retirement. Saban informed his team he was stepping down after 17 seasons at Alabama and a half century in coaching.
That was 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 10. Fast forward 72 hours, and Alabama had already introduced its new coach, Kalen DeBoer, at a press conference inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
In a span of about two days, a legend retired and the Crimson Tide – and its athletics director, Greg Byrne – convinced DeBoer, who coached in the national championship game Monday, to replace Saban.
How did it all go down? Here are the events of that 52-hour period that brought DeBoer to Tuscaloosa.
MORE: Relive Nick Saban’s epic Alabama football coaching career with our special book!
EPIC NICK SABAN STORIES: Epic Nick Saban stories, as told by Alabama football players who’d know as he retires
Greg Byrne’s actions around Nick Saban’s retirement on Wednesday
Byrne and Saban met every Sunday during the season at about 3 p.m. Byrne would share updates from the previous week. Saban would ask questions and give updates of his own. Whenever the subject of Saban’s future came up, he was transparent, Byrne said.
“I couldn’t have asked for better communication as the retirement came,” Byrne said. “I wasn’t taken by surprise, no.”
When Byrne found out Saban was retiring, he asked the coach if he could speak to the team right after him. Then Byrne did. He told the team to give him 72 hours.
Next, Byrne met with the football team’s leadership group. He explained a time frame and what the priorities…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/inside-alabama-footballs-coaching-search-023357875.html
Author : The Tuscaloosa News
Publish date : 2024-01-14 02:33:57
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
