When it comes to official titles, newly retired Alabama football coach Nick Saban might still be Alabama something Nick Saban.

What exactly, even he doesn't know.

Saban, who informed players of his decision to retire after 17 seasons at UA on Wednesday, told ESPN that he intends to still be involved with Alabama athletics. A clean break from coaching, to be sure, but whether formally or informally, not exactly a clean break from UA athletics.

"I want to be there for the players, for the coaches, anything I can do to support them during this transition," Saban said. "There are a lot of things to clean up, to help as we move forward. I'm still going to have a presence here at the university in some form and trying to figure out all that and how it works. This is a place that will never be too far away from Miss Terry's and my hearts."

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Whether Saban will advise Director of Athletics Greg Byrne on a hiring decision remains unclear, but the seven-time national champion coach will be around at least to help bridge the gap to his successor. That Saban intends to have an ongoing presence suggests some sort of role beyond the coaching transition, however. That could mean anything from a more distant consulting role to something more hands-on.

And there's precedent for it at the University of Florida, where Gators legendary coach Steve Spurrier took on an emeritus role as an ambassador at UF following his retirement from coaching. That was in 2016, and Spurrier moved back to Gainesville and had an office at UF. Saban's next residence wouldn't figure to be in Tuscaloosa, given his offseason purchase of a $17 million home on Jupiter Island in Florida. But that doesn't mean he couldn't maintain a strong presence in UA Athletics, depending on how he prefers to stay involved.

Reach Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Nick Saban to stay at Alabama "in some form." What could that entail?