Nick Saban Explains Biggest Challenge Bill Belichick Will Face in College Football

The legendary NFL coach finds himself in unfamiliar territory.

Bill Belichick and Nick Saban at Alabama's Pro Day in 2019. / Mickey Welsh / Advertiser

It would've been hard to believe in the recent past that Bill Belichick—that Bill Belichick—would outlast Nick Saban in college football.

In 2025, however, the ex-New England Patriots coach will lead North Carolina while the ex-Alabama coach watches from the set of College GameDay. Both of the lifelong friends are taking on new adventures—one is just a bit more challenging than the other.

On Friday's edition of The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN, Saban outlined his thoughts on the hire—and what Belichick would need to do to be successful.

"I’m happy for Bill. I think he probably wanted a new challenge, and this will certainly be a new challenge for him," Saban said. "The difference in college is how do you bring guys to the team. It’s different drafting guys than having to recruit them, because recruiting is like a full-time, relationship-building, 365-days-a-year (effort) in terms of not only evaluating the players that you want but creating relationships with them to get them."

"I'm happy for Bill Belichick and I think he wanted a new challenge..

This is gonna be a great challenge for him and there's a lot of athletic tradition at North Carolina..

I think he'll be able to develop players"

Coach Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/pFFWSo6eLX

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 13, 2024

As Saban emphasized, that's terra incognita for Belichick, who has never coached in college at any level.

"The biggest thing that will be a challenge for him is the time you have to spend recruiting, making phone calls, talking to parents, all those types of things to get the kind of players that you need... the biggest adjustment for him will be the time spent recruiting," Saban said.

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