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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Scalici

Breaking down Nick Saban’s coaching tree of current or former head coaches in 2024

Editor’s note: This story was originally published Oct. 7, 2023 and has been updated. 

It’s hard to find any coach in the modern history of college football who has had the kind of impact Nick Saban has had on the sport. With a career spanning three decades and four different schools (not to mention a brief stint in the NFL coaching the Miami Dolphins), Saban has coached more a thousand players.

His run as college football’s most dominant figure has led to new innovations in recruiting, strength and conditioning and even rule changes.

Saban’s impact on the sport can perhaps best be displayed through the astounding and ever-growing list of head coaches throughout the sport who, at some point in their careers, worked with or for him. It’s a list so sweeping that it can be hard to forget which coaches are former Saban assistants. Many of them now count themselves among his professional rivals.

We’ve put together an exhaustive list of every Nick Saban assistant who later went on to be a head coach at the college or pro level. Check out Saban’s coaching tree in all its glory.

Jimbo Fisher

(Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Florida State 2010-2017, Texas A&M 2018-2023

Worked with Saban: LSU 2000-2004, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach

Kirby Smart

(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Georgia 2016-present

Worked with Saban: LSU 2004, defensive backs coach; Miami Dolphins 2006, safeties coach; Alabama 2007-2015, defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach

Will Muschamp

(Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Florida 2011-2014, South Carolina 2016-2020

Worked with Saban: LSU 2001-2004, linebackers coach, defensive coordinator

Jeremy Pruitt

(Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Tennessee 2018-2020

Worked with Saban: Alabama 2007-2009, director of player development; Alabama 2010-2012, defensive backs coach; Alabama 2016-2017, defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach

Mark Dantonio

(Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Cincinnati 2004-2006, Michigan State 2007-2019

Worked with Saban: Michigan State 1995-1999, defensive backs coach

Lane Kiffin

(Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Oakland Raiders 2007-2008, Tennessee 2009, USC 2010-2013, Florida Atlantic 2017-2019, Ole Miss 2020-present

Worked with Saban: Alabama 2014-2016, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach

Derek Dooley

(Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Louisiana Tech 2007-2009, Tennessee 2010-2012

Worked with Saban: LSU 2000-2002, tight ends coach; LSU 2003-2004, running backs coach; Miami Dolphins 2005-2006, tight ends coach; Alabama 2022-present, offensive analyst

Jim McElwain

(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Colorado State 2012-2014, Florida 2015-2017, Central Michigan 2019-present

Worked with Saban: Alabama 2008-2011, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach

Bobby Williams

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Michigan State 2000-2002

Worked with Saban: Michigan State 1995-1999, running backs coach; LSU 2004, wide receivers coach; Miami Dolphins 2005-2006, running backs coach; Alabama 2008-2015, tight ends and special teams coach

Steve Sarkisian

(Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Head coach at Washington 2009-2013, USC 2014-2015, Texas 2021-present

Worked with Saban: Alabama 2016, analyst; Alabama 2019-2020, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach

Mel Tucker

(AP Photo/Al Goldis)

Head coach at Colorado 2019, Michigan State 2020-2023

Worked with Saban: Michigan State 1997-1998, graduate assistant; LSU 2000, defensive backs coach; Alabama 2015, defensive backs coach

Butch Jones

(Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Central Michigan 2007-2009, Cincinnati 2010-2012, Tennessee 2013-2017, Arkansas State 2021-present

Worked with Saban: Alabama 2018-2020, offensive analyst, assistant to the head coach

Billy Napier

(Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Louisiana 2018-2021, Florida 2021-present

Worked with Saban: Alabama 2011, analyst; Alabama 2013-2016, wide receivers coach

Mario Cristobal

(Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Florida International 2007-2012, Oregon 2018-2021, Miami 2022-present

Worked with Saban: Alabama 2013-2016, offensive line coach, recruiting coordinator

Mike Locksley

(Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at New Mexico 2009-2011, Maryland 2019-present

Worked with Saban: Alabama 2016-2018, offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach

Jason Garrett

(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Dallas Cowboys 2011-2019

Worked with Saban: Miami Dolphins 2005-2006, quarterbacks coach

Dan Quinn

(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Atlanta Falcons 2015-2020

Worked with Saban: Miami Dolphins 2005-2006, defensive line coach

Mike Mularkey

(Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Buffalo Bills 2004-2005, Jacksonville Jaguars 2012, Tennessee Titans 2016-2017

Worked with Saban: Miami Dolphins 2006, offensive coordinator

Adam Gase

(AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Head coach at Miami Dolphins 20016-2018, New York Jets 2019-2020

Worked with Saban: LSU 2000-2002, assistant

Pat Shurmur

(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Head coach at Cleveland Browns 2011-2012, New York Giants 2018-2019

Worked with Saban: Michigan State 1995-1997, tight ends, offensive line and special teams coach

Major Applewhite

(Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Houston 2017-2018

Worked with Saban: Alabama 2007, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach; Alabama 2019-2020, analyst

Geoff Collins

(Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Temple 2017-2018, Georgia Tech 2019-2022

Worked with Saban: Alabama 2007, director of player personnel

Curt Cignetti

(David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at IUP 2011-2016, Elon 2017-2018, James Madison 2019-present

Worked with Saban: Alabama 2007-2010, wide receivers coach, recruiting coordinator

Brian Daboll

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Head coach at New York Giants 2022-present

Worked with Saban: Michigan State 1998-1999, graduate assistant; Alabama 2017, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach

Dan Lanning

(Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Oregon 2022-present

Worked with Saban: Alabama 2015, graduate assistant

Charles Huff

(Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports)

Head coach at Marshall 2021-present

Worked with Saban: Alabama 2019-2020, running backs coach

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