On Wednesday night, supporters of SEC colleges are partying in the streets. Specifically, Knoxville, Tennessee, is included in this. Or, given the most recent breaking news out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, they ought to be.
Nick Saban, the head coach of Alabama, has announced his retirement, according to Chris Low of ESPN.
For Tennessee supporters, there is no news that could be more shocking than the announcement that the guy who has caused them so much suffering will finally be leaving. Whatever person Alabama hires next doesn’t matter. It can’t be worse than what Vol supporters have gone through when Nick Saban became Alabama’s head coach in January 2007.
In his debut game on the Third Saturday in October, Saban left his mark in Tuscaloosa, defeating Phillip Fulmer’s Volunteers 41–17. That, regrettably, signaled the start of one of the dirtiest runs in the rivalry’s history.
Over the next fourteen seasons, Saban and the Crimson Tide easily defeated the Vols, with the majority of the games being very non-competitive. Tennessee lost two heartbreaking games in 2009 and 2015 when they had a late-game opportunity to grab a victory. If not, the Vols would never be able to compete with the monster that Saban created.
That is, until Josh Heupel arrived and led the team to an 11-win season in 2022, which was akin to a respite in the desert for Tennessee fans who were aching for victory. And the pinnacle of that drama occurred on October 15, 2022, as Tennessee defeated Saban and the Crimson Tide 52–49 to break a 15-year losing run to their main opponent.
Even though Saban was successful against Tennessee, it looks like this will be his final game as the Tide’s head coach at Neyland Stadium. It gives a victory that will go down as one of the greatest in program history even more luster.