The Alabama Standard and the Patriot Way. Two eras of modern football excellence ended within 24 hours this week as Nick Saban retired from Alabama on Wednesday and the following morning, his friend and former boss Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots mutually agreed to part ways.

The pair combined for 12 championships across 44 seasons, producing a plethora of hall of famers and establishing an expectation of greatness that they routinely met. The changing of the guard moment among coaching icons continued as the Pete Carroll era ended in Seattle.

Asked about the current moment and rush of departures by ESPN’s Rece Davis on Thursday, Saban explained the true challenge of building, and maintaining a dynasty.

“I think it’s a tribute because I think it’s much more difficult to sustain success then it is to build a program, to take a 3-8 team and in three or four years, make it a successful program. I think to do it for a long time, because people don’t react well to success, they react much better to failure,” Saban said. “They’re more willing to change their ways. They’re more willing to develop the habits they need to develop to be successful.

“But when you’ve climbed the mountain successfully several times, you become the mountain. So, therefore, everybody is shooting at you, everybody wants to beat you, everybody circles that game on their schedule as, ‘This is the game we want to make sure we’re ready for and win.’ Now you have to have people in your organization that are not trying to prove anything, they’re actually trying to be the best they can be. That’s actually a much more difficult thing to try to accomplish on a consistent basis. My hats off to Bill for all the success that he had. Pete Carroll, all the success that he’s had in college and the NFL. Those guys are really special in terms of what they’re able to accomplish.”

Belichick hired Saban while leading the Cleveland Browns in 1991, working together for three years. Belichick eventually replaced Carroll as the Patriots head coach in 2000. Carroll would win the BCS title with Southern California in 2004 before capturing a Super Bowl in 2013 with the Seahawks.

Meanwhile, Saban moved from Miami to Tuscaloosa and resuscitated a powerhouse.

Belichick, 71, is likely to get another NFL gig and Carroll, 72, is staying on as an advisor in Seattle. Saban, 72, appears content with his seven overall rings and an office in Bryant-Denny Stadium. He said he is likely to explore other ventures in his free time.

• Nick Saban plans on keeping an ‘Office in the stadium’ after retiring from Alabama footballJan. 11, 2024, 11:31p.m.
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• Nick Saban talks reasons for retiring, continuing to help Alabama football: ReportJan. 11, 2024, 6:17p.m.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].