Nick Saban spent four seasons coaching under Bill Belichick, and he learned a thing or two in the process.
Saban, who has led Alabama to three of the last four national titles, is one the most successful coaches in college football history. Before he built his NCAA dynasties, though, Saban was the defensive coordinator for Belichick’s Cleveland Browns teams from 1991 to 1995.
During his time under Belichick, Saban not only learned to become one of the great defensive minds in football but also how to successfully run a program. Saban credits Belichick with teaching him the professional side of the sport during a recent interview with 60 Minutes.
“Bill, from a professional standpoint, made me so much more aware professionally of things that you could do organizationally to improve you know a football team,” Saban said. ” I had never been at that level before. Bill was really well organized, very very smart and had so much detail in every part of the organization. And [he would] define for everybody in the entire building what the expectation was for them.”
Saban continued by talking about specific steps that Belichick took within the organization to ensure that everyone was in sync on the ideologies and details each week. The four-time BCS national champion — he also won with LSU in 2003 — went on to talk about how the team would undergo a “constant evolution” under Belichick’s guidance, which the NFL has come to know all too well during his 14-year run with in New England.
Check out all that Saban had to say about his mentor in the video below.
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