Legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban to retire

Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Alabama's Nick Saban, arguably the greatest coach in college football history, plans to retire.

Sources told ESPN, The Athletic and the Action Network about his decision Wednesday night. Saban, 72, ranks No. 15 in college football history with 292 wins. His teams won a record seven national titles, including six with the Crimson Tide

Saban started his collegiate coaching career in 1973 as an assistant at Kent State. He later served as a linebackers coach for the Golden Flashes. Saban held the same role in 1977 at Syracuse.

He worked as a secondary coach at West Virginia, Ohio State and Navy until becoming a defensive coordinator in 1983 at Michigan State.

Saban then went to the NFL in 1988 as a secondary coach for the Houston Oilers and was hired in 1990 as head coach at Toledo. He joined the Cleveland Browns' staff in 1991 as a defensive coordinator.

Saban left the Browns in 1995 to become head coach at Michigan State. He held that role through 2004 and won a title with the Tigers 2003.

Saban returned to the NFL to coach the Miami Dolphins in 2005 and 2006. He became head coach at Alabama in 2007.

Saban led Toledo to a 9-2 record. He went 32-24-1 at Michigan State and 48-16 at LSU. He went 15-17 in two seasons coaching the Dolphins.

Saban went 201-29, winning 87% of his games as coach of the Crimson Tide.