Nick Saban's daughter Kristen found out about dad's retirement as Alabama HC in bizarre fashion: 'Oh my God, what's going on?'
Nick Saban surprised everybody in the college football world when he announced his retirement from coaching. The list of those surprised by the news also included his daughter Kristen Saban. In a recent podcast appearance, she revealed that she received her dad's retirement news in a bizarre fashion.
According to Kristen, the Saban family treated every year as Coach Saban’s last at the helm in Tuscaloosa. She also said that she got a little heads up that morning but was still left surprised when the news actually broke. Here is what she said about Nick Saban's retirement on ‘The Next Round’ podcast.
“That morning, I kinda got a little heads up like, every year especially the last five-ten years of, you know, he might. Because he has talked about it before, maybe five years ago saying this might be the year and then it wasn't. So we treated every year like it could be the last,” Kristen said about the circumstances.
The 28-year-old said that she was on a plane to Orlando when the news broke and her phone started blowing up. Kristen said:
“That morning my mom was like maybe, maybe not but don't be surprised if you see something. Later that afternoon I was on a plane to Orlando with my son to go to Disney World and I just bought the South West wifi. And my phone is just blowing up. I’m like what's going on?”
A journalist asked her to confirm the news and it was done by her mother Terry while Kristen was still on the plane. A really bizarre way to find out your dad is stepping away from the limelight.
Nick Saban feels refreshed in his post-retirement life
When asked about his post-retirement life, Nick Saban said that it has been everything he imagined it would be. He spent more than five decades as a coach and was always so busy with work. According to him, he finally doesn't have to hurry to complete his tasks.
“Not feeling like you’re in a hurry all the time, which is kinda refreshing,” he said in his recent appearance on the "Next Round Podcast" last month.
Coach Saban won seven national titles in his head coaching career, six of them coming in his time in Alabama. He led the Crimson Tide to the playoffs in his final year in Tuscaloosa but stepped down after losing out to eventual national champions Michigan in the Rose Bowl.