The 17-year nightmare for the Tennessee Vols has finally come to an end.
ESPN’s Chris Low reports that Nick Saban, the head coach of Alabama, has announced his retirement.
For Tennessee supporters, the announcement that the guy who has caused them so much suffering would finally be stepping down could not possible be more shocking. Who Alabama hires next is irrelevant. It can’t be worse than what Vol supporters have gone through since Alabama’s head coach Nick Saban came over in January 2007.
With a 41-17 victory over Phillip Fulmer’s Volunteers in Tuscaloosa on his first Saturday in October, Saban made an impact. Unfortunately, that started one of the worst runs in the rivalry’s history, which had previously been competitive.
For the following fourteen seasons, Saban and the Crimson Tide dominated the Vols, winning virtually all of their games by a wide margin. In both 2009 and 2015, Tennessee lost heartbreakingly in the fourth quarter just when they had a chance to steal a victory. If not, the Vols would have never been able to challenge Saban’s formidable team.
That is, until 2022, when Josh Heupel arrived and led the team to 11 wins, which seemed to success-starved Tennessee fans like a respite in the desert. At its peak, however, occurred on October 15, 2022, when Tennessee defeated Saban and the Crimson Tide 52โ49 to snap a 15-year losing run against their main opponent.
Despite his great performance against Tennessee, it appears like Saban’s final meeting at Neyland Stadium as the Tide’s head coach will end in a loss. It adds even more luster to a victory that will rank among the greatest in program history.
Who Alabama brings in is irrelevant to Tennessee. Their nearly two-decade-long nightmare of a guy is no longer with them.