For the past 50 years, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban would be spending these final two pre-season weeks doing everything he can to get his team ready to compete.

Now, in retirement, Saban has plenty of time to reflect on his life and career as well as spending well-earned time with family. Asked by reporters at his annual Nick’s Kids Foundation luncheon in Tuscaloosa what the biggest difference is for him now being retired, he gave a thoughtful answer:

“What I realized is for 50 years, I didn’t even know I was in a hurry. It was just a way of life.” – Nick Saban on life after coaching pic.twitter.com/1bFh1kUgbD

— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) August 14, 2024

“I’d say the biggest difference for me is that I was in a hurry for 50 years,” Saban said. “I mean, I was like ‘what’s next, so what, what’s next.’ One thing after another from 7 A.M. to 10 o’clock at night. And now, I’m not in a hurry, but what I realized is for 50 years, I didn’t even know I was in a hurry. It was just a way of life. So, that has been a little different. We still want to make an impact but at the same time we can kinda’ do that on our terms, not on the pressures of what it takes to have a successful program.”

Saban didn’t hang it up because he couldn’t coach anymore — he only knew one way to do it: 100%. Now in retirement, the legendary head coach is finally able to turn that pressure down as he hands the program’s reigns over to Kalen DeBoer.