A look at Nick Sabanâs ever-growing coaching tree
Nick Saban’s legacy as Alabama football coach is multi-fold, with one of his largest contributions the number of outstanding coaches who once worked on his staff.
Here’s a (possibly incomplete) list of 35 men who coached under Saban who went on to become head coaches in college or the NFL:
Current FBS head coaches (13)
Kirby Smart, Alabama’s defensive coordinator from 2008-15, has won two national championships as head coach at Georgia. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)AP
• Kirby Smart, Georgia
Worked with Saban: LSU defensive backs coach (2004), Miami Dolphins safeties coach (2006), Alabama defensive backs coach/defensive coordinator (2007-15)
Record/seasons in current job: 94-16 in 8 seasons, 2 national championships, 2 SEC championships
• Mike Locksley, Maryland
Worked with Saban: Alabama offensive analyst (2016), wide receivers coach (2017), offensive coordinator (2018)
Record/seasons in current job: 30-39 in 6 seasons
• Jim McElwain, Central Michigan
Worked with Saban: Alabama offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (2008-11)
Record/seasons in current job: 29-28 in 5 seasons
Other jobs: 22-13 in 3 seasons at Florida; 22-15 in 3 seasons at Colorado State
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was Alabama’s offensive coordinator from 2014-16. (Joe Hermitt | [email protected])Joe Hermitt | [email protected]
• Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Worked with Saban: Alabama offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (2014-16)
Record/seasons in current job: 34-15 in 4 seasons
Other jobs: 26-13 in 3 seasons at Florida Atlantic
• Charles Huff, Marshall
Worked with Saban: Alabama assistant head coach/running backs coach (2019-20)
Record/seasons in current job: 22-17 in 3 seasons
• Butch Jones, Arkansas State
Worked with Saban: Alabama offensive analyst (2018-19)
Record/seasons in current job: 11-26 in 3 seasons
Brent Key, Alabama’s offensive line coach from 2016-18, is now head coach at Georgia Tech. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)AP
• Brent Key, Georgia Tech
Worked with Saban: Alabama offensive line coach (2016-18)
Record/seasons in current job: 11-10 in 2 seasons
• Steve Sarkisian, Texas
Worked with Saban: Alabama analyst/interim offensive coordinator (2016), offensive coordinator (2019-20)
Record/seasons in current job: 25-14 in 3 seasons, 1 Big 12 title
• Mario Cristobal, Miami
Worked with Saban: Alabama offensive line coach/recruiting coordinator (2013-16)
Record/seasons in current job: 12-13 in 2 seasons
Other jobs: 35-13 in 5 seasons at Oregon
• Dan Lanning, Oregon
Worked with Saban: Alabama graduate assistant (2015)
Record/seasons in current job: 22-5 in 2 seasons
Billy Napier, Alabama’s wide receivers coach from 2013-16, is currently head coach at Florida. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)AP
• Billy Napier, Florida
Worked with Saban: Alabama analyst (2011), wide receivers coach (2013-16)
Record/seasons in current job: 11-14 in 2 seasons
Other jobs: 40-12 in 4 seasons at Louisiana
• Lance Taylor, Western Michigan
Worked with Saban: Alabama graduate assistant (2007-08)
Record/seasons in current job: 4-8 in 1 season
• Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Worked with Saban: Alabama wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator (2007-10)
Record/seasons in current job: Entering first season
Other jobs: 53-17 in 6 seasons (2011-16) at Indiana-Pennsylvania; 14-9 in 2 seasons (2017-18) at Elon; 52-9 in 5 seasons (2019-23) at James Madison
Current FCS head coaches (3)
• Ron Cooper, Long Island
Worked with Saban: Alabama analyst (2021)
Record/seasons at current job: 8-14 in 2 seasons
Gabe Giardina, an Alabama graduate assistant in 2007, is currently head coach at Charleston Southern. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)AP
• Gabe Giardina, Charleston Southern
Worked with Saban: Alabama graduate assistant (2007)
Record/seasons at current job: 4-7 in 1 season
Other jobs: 37-17 in 5 seasons at Albany State
• Jody Wright, Murray State
Worked with Saban: Alabama graduate assistant (2010), Alabama offensive analyst (2011)
Record seasons at current job: entering first season
Former FBS head coaches (9)
Bobby Williams was an assistant coach under Nick Saban at Michigan State, and later succeeded him as head coach. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)Associated Press
• Bobby Williams
Worked with Saban: Michigan State running backs coach (1995-99); LSU wide receivers coach (2004); Miami Dolphins running backs coach (2005-06); Alabama tight ends/special teams coach (2008-15), Alabama special assistant (2016-17)
Head coaching jobs: 16-17 in 3 seasons (2000-02) at Michigan State
• Mark Dantonio
Worked with Saban: Michigan State defensive backs coach (1995-99)
Head coaching jobs: 18-17 in 3 seasons (2004-06) at Cincinnati; 114-57 in 13 seasons (2007-19) at Michigan State
• Derek Dooley
• Worked with Saban: LSU tight ends coach (2000-02), LSU running backs coach (2003-04); Miami Dolphins tight ends coach (2005-06); Alabama analyst (2022-23)
Head coaching jobs: 17-20 in 3 seasons (2007-09) at Louisiana Tech; 15-21 in 3 seasons (2010-12) at Tennessee
• Jimbo Fisher
Worked with Saban: LSU offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (2000-04)
Head coaching jobs: 83-23 with a national championship in 8 seasons (2010-17) at Florida State; 45-25 in 6 seasons (2018-23) at Texas A&M
Will Muschamp was an assistant coach under Nick Saban at LSU and with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and was later head coach at Florida and South Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)Getty Images
• Will Muschamp
Worked with Saban: LSU linebackers coach (2001), LSU defensive coordinator (2002-04); Miami Dolphins assistant head coach (2005)
Head coaching jobs: 28-21 in 4 seasons (2011-14) at Florida; 28-30 in 5 seasons (2016-20) at South Carolina
• Major Applewhite
Worked with Saban: Alabama offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (2007); Alabama analyst (2019-20)
Head coaching jobs: 15-11 in 2 seasons (2017-18) at Houston
• Geoff Collins
Worked with Saban: Alabama director of player personnel (2007)
Head coaching jobs: 15-10 in 2 seasons (2017-18) at Temple; 10-28 in 4 seasons (2019-22) at Georgia Tech
Jeremy Pruitt was an Alabama assistant under Nick Saban and later head coach at Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Getty Images
• Jeremy Pruitt
Worked with Saban: Alabama director of player development (2007-09), Alabama defensive backs coach (2010-12), Alabama defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach (2016-17)
Head coaching job: 16-19 in 3 seasons (2018-20) at Tennessee
• Mel Tucker
Worked with Saban: Alabama defensive backs coach (2015)
Head coaching jobs: 5-7 in 1 season (2019) at Colorado; 20-14 in 4 seasons (2020-23) at Michigan State
Current NFL head coaches (1)
Brian Daboll, a graduate assistant at Michigan State and later Alabama offensive coordinator under Nick Saban, is now head coach of the NFL’s New York Giants. AP Photo/Matt Rourke
• Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Worked with Saban: Michigan State graduate assistant (1998-99); Alabama offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (2017)
Record/seasons at current job: 14-18-1 in 2 seasons
Former NFL head coaches (9)
• Scott Linehan
Worked with Saban: Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator (2005)
Head coaching job: 11-25 in 3 seasons (2006-08) with St. Louis Rams
• Josh McDaniels
Worked with Saban: Michigan State graduate assistant (1999)
Head coaching jobs: 11-17 in 2 seasons (2009-10) with Denver Broncos; 9-16 in 2 seasons (2022-23) with Las Vegas Raiders
Jason Garrett was an assistant under Nick Saban with the Miami Dolphins and was later head coach of the Dallas Cowboys for 10 seasons. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)AP
• Jason Garrett
Worked with Saban: Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach (2005-06)
Head coaching job: 85-67 in 10 seasons (2010-19) with Dallas Cowboys
• Pat Shurmur
Worked with Saban: Michigan State tight ends/special teams coach (1995-97)
Head coaching job: 9-23 in 2 seasons (2011-12) with Cleveland Browns; 9-23 in 2 seasons (2018-19) with New York Giants
• Mike Mularkey
Worked with Saban: Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator (2006)
Head coaching job: 2-14 in 1 season (2012) with Jacksonville Jaguars; 20-21 in 3 seasons (2015-17) with Tennessee Titans
Dan Quinn was an assistant coach under Nick Saban with the Miami Dolphins and later became head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)AP
• Dan Quinn
Worked with Saban: Miami Dolphins defensive line coach (2005-06)
Head coaching job: 43-42 in 6 seasons (2015-20) with Atlanta Falcons
• Adam Gase
Worked with Saban: Michigan State student assistant (1996-99); LSU graduate assistant (2000), LSU defensive assistant (2001-02)
Head coaching jobs: 23-25 in 3 seasons (2016-18) with Miami Dolphins; 9-23 in 2 seasons (2019-20) with New York Jets
Freddie Kitchens, a graduate assistant under Nick Saban at LSU, later became head coach of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com)cleveland.com
• Freddie Kitchens
Worked with Saban: LSU graduate assistant (2000)
Head coaching job: 6-10 in 1 season (2019) with Cleveland Browns
• Joe Judge
Worked with Saban: Alabama special teams assistant (2009-11)
Head coaching job: 10-23 in 2 seasons (2021-22) with New York Giants
Creg Stephenson has worked for AL.com since 2010 and has covered college football for a variety of publications since 1994. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter/X at @CregStephenson.