Nick Saban shocked the college football world yesterday with his decision to inform his team that he has decided to retire.

There are many theories floating around as to why Saban chose to step away from the game now, with many speculating that the NIL, transfer portal, and the overall changing landscape of college football are reasons for Saban to retire.

But according to Saban himself, Interview with ESPN's Chris Lowe on Thursday morning.that's not the case, and age and health concerns were likely bigger factors.

“Don't think about that. That's not what it's about,” Saban said. “For me, if you choose to coach, you don't have to complain about things like that. You just have to adapt and adjust to it and do the best you can under the circumstances and not complain. There's. I think everyone is frustrated by that now. There was an SEC conference call and 14 coaches were on it. [Wednesday]And there's not one person you can talk to who really understands what's going on in college football and doesn't think it's a problem. ”

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“But this isn't about that. We've been in this era for three years, and we've adapted and won in this era. But we know when to defer to others. Well, now is the time.”

Saban did cite health concerns and said things are becoming more difficult as he gets older. Last month, he told ESPN that being 72 years old has made it harder for him to get through 14 hours a day. He didn't have any major problems, but things were more difficult.

“Last season was difficult for me from a health standpoint as well. It wasn't necessarily that there were any major issues, but I just couldn't maintain and keep doing what I want to do and what I've been doing. It just made it a little bit more difficult. So you have to make a decision, which is inevitable at my age.”

Alabama was still in the midst of a search for a new head coach as of early Thursday afternoon.

Michael Brauner is a senior sports analyst and contributing writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP