Skip to main content
All Steelers

Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick Reacts to Nick Saban Retirement

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was stunned to see his legendary college coach retire.
Stephen Thompson|
Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick Reacts to Nick Saban Retirement
Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick Reacts to Nick Saban Retirement

PITTSBURGH -- Like many around the country who saw the news, current Pittsburgh Steelers and former Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was stunned to see that his old head coach, one of the giants of the football world, Nick Saban, would retire. 

Fitzpatrick, who's eying a return from injury to the Steelers lineup for this weekend's playoff opener against the Buffalo Bills, had a suspicion that Saban would call it a career soon, but still, his announcement came as a surprise. 

“I was shocked, man. That threw me off," Fitzpatrick said. "I knew he had bought that house down in Florida last year, so that was kind of a hint, I guess. But definitely threw me off.”

Fitzpatrick was a two-time All-American and national champion at Alabama, and that was no accident with Saban at the helm. Saban coached his players hard but always because he knew what they were capable of. 

“He was a great coach," he said. "He was hard on us, he was tough on us, but it was because he knew where that was going to get us.”

Saban's been a pillar of college football for all of his 33 years as a head coach in the sport. He's won six national titles, 297 games (the ninth-most all-time), five SEC Coach of the Year Awards, and national Coach of the Year honors in 2003, 2008, 2016, and 2020.

With the Crimson Tide set to move on to a new era, Fitzpatrick knows it will be strange seeing a different face barking orders on the sidelines, but he's still optimistic about the direction of the program. 

“It’ll be weird. It’ll be weird," Fitzpatrick said. "But I’m excited to see who they hire.”

Make sure you bookmark All Steelers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Former Steelers Coach Among Favorites for Commanders Job

Steelers Shut Down Safety Before Playoff Game

Steelers Should Hire Mike Vrabel

Steelers Release Former Penn State QB

Steelers Sign LB After T.J. Watt Injury

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper. He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press. During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general. 

Share on XFollow stephenethom
Home/News