Nick Saban, architect of Alabama football dynasty, announces retirement

• Saban, 72, walking away following 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa
• Legendary head coach won six national titles with Alabama

Nick Saban, one of college football's greatest ever coaches who helmed the University of Alabama to six national championships during a brilliant 17-year tenure at the Tuscaloosa school, announced his retirement on Wednesday.

The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me," Saban said in a statement. We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it's about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program.