I was preparing to write about Pete Carroll in this space -- he had a rare run.
Managing to do the hardest thing, which is to flush the perception of who he was initially thought to be after flaming out in New England and evolving into something altogether different with the Seattle Seahawks. That was on top of the absolute juggernaut he lorded over at USC. One of one in this century in terms of a national title and a Super Bowl. Then I got a text from my producer. Oh really? OK.
Throughout this college football season, there was quiet chatter about Nick Saban retiring -- which, like Carroll, makes sense. They're both 72 years old. Though neither looks it and if anything appeared to be getting younger. But the clock remains undefeated in the race and today Nick told his team he was going to stop running.
Where do you even begin with this? There are so many layers: I start at the airport. Lord knows I heckled those people who showed up to meet him when he was hired from Miami. "Look at these fools," I said.
As it turns out, they undersold his arrival. Who could have dreamt the man showing up would do the impossible -- make Bear Bryant the second-greatest coach in school history? That's what happened.
He made Alabama everyone's biggest game and mostly, they didn't lose. He won nearly 90% of the games he coached. Bama lived in the deep end of the pool and won national championships six of the nine times they played for them.
To be that consistent and avoid the complacency that human nature suggests is inevitable is astounding. One title is a lot. Look at Jim Harbaugh -- look at how difficult it was. Saban did it seven times -- six of them at Alabama in a 15-year span.
All in an era when rosters were smaller, recruiting was more ferocious, and you couldn't just claim you won the title in the newspaper because you felt like it. Don't get all mad, Bama -- you had some creative bookkeeping through the years. Nick won them on the field.
But that field is now a whole lot more level than it once was. NIL changes things -- you have to re-recruit your roster every year because free agency is essentially unlimited. What appetite does a 72-year-old have for that?
Look no further than college basketball and the legends who have said so long in recent years as the world changed so quickly. Like Duke and North Carolina in basketball, Alabama is on this short list of best jobs in the sport. The only reason I hesitate to say it's absolutely No. 1 is that the next man has to follow this man.
Whoever that person is needs to be hardwired for the task because it will devour anyone who isn't. Expectations will be unreasonable. But if you say that, Tide fans could ask "Yeah, and why is that? Nick did it."
Yes, he did. Best to ever do it. That's all you have to follow. Good luck, brother. Roll Tide.