Bill Belichick has no coaching equal in the NFL and Nick Saban rules the college landscape with the same dominance with which his good friend owns Sundays.
Saban and Belichick’s friendship has been well-documented over the years, with both harping on the immense respect they have for one another. Saban, who served as Belichick’s defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns for four seasons, recently explained how his relationship with the New England Patriots head coach has helped him at Alabama and throughout his career.
“Well, Bill’s a really good friend,” Saban told Tim Tebow in an interview on ESPN. “And it started way back when I actually coached with his father at the Naval Academy in like 1981 or something, who was a great guy and a great coach. And I got to know Bill and we shared ideas in football. And I have a tremendous amount of respect (for) what he’s been able to do.
“I don’t think there’s any question that he’s given more to me,” Saban continued. “I mean, I learned probably more when I was a defensive coordinator at Cleveland working under him for four years. Not just about football, but about the organization of having a good program and how to define the expectations for people in your organization so that they know exactly what to expect and exactly what you expected from them so that they could do their job well.”
Saban and Belichick have built two of the most dominant dynasties at their respective levels, and their organizational structures are a huge reason for the continued success in Foxboro and Tuscaloosa. The Alabama head coach will attempt to win his seventh national championship, and cement himself as college football’s G.O.A.T on Monday when the No. 1 Crimson Tide meet the No. 2 Clemson Tigers at Levi’s Stadium in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
