Documentary Includes Moment Nick Saban Voices Displeasure With Some Former Assistant Coaches

Nick Saban doesn't like how some of his former assistant coaches tried to raid the Crimson Tide

HBO/NFL Films

The marketing people at HBO very shrewdly put out a release for the documentary "Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching," which will air for the first time Tuesday. It only included an except of a conversation between the two. 

In it, Saban mentioned some of his displeasure at Georgia and Tennessee, which not only hired away two of his assistant coaches, but they brought along numerous other people from Alabama along with them.

“We've always had sort of a mutual respect for how we sort of take each other's people; and it's one thing that I always try to emphasize to the guys," Saban said. "What I have a tough time with, alright, is we've had however many guys that have worked here that are at Georgia, Tennessee or whoever, wherever, is when they get those jobs, in most cases you helped them, that they have a hard time understanding why they can't take your people. I'm gonna help you get a job so that you can take what I’ve tried to build here and destroy the continuity of what I have. And it's amazing how some of the assistants don't understand why that's not a good thing.”

Belichick: “I mean, look, I’m happy for the people that have worked hard for me to get opportunities and I want to see them build their own program. When they try to tear down our program that's kind of where the line I feel like gets crossed. We've always had a, without really talking about it, we've always had that kind of respectful relationship there.”

Saban: “I know you don’t do this and i don't do this. But some people hire coaches to do what they do.”

Belichick: “Right.”

Saban: “I've always hired coaches to do what we do.”

Belichick: “Right.”

Among those Smart took with him to Georgia included Mel Tucker as defensive coordinator (now the head coach at Colorado), and now co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann, who had been Alabama’s director of player development and associate director of player personnel, plus several staffers.

Pruitt brought along Brian Niedermeyer, the assistant director of recruiting operations with the Crimson Tide in 2017, and analyst Chris Weinke. He's also hired former Alabama assistant coaches Derrick Ansley and Chris Rumph, plus former Crimson Tide director of player development Kerry Stevenson.

Both tried to hire away strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran. 

In the documentary Belichick calls Saban the best coach he ever hired. Saban was his defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns from 1991-94. 

One of the few coaches to work for both is now-Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who was initially a graduate assistant for Saban at Michigan State, and an offensive assistant (2013) and tight ends coach (2014-16) for Belichick with the New England Patriots. He left after a season with the Crimson Tide (2017).  

The interview session was recorded last spring, when Alabama had its third offensive coordinator in as many years (fourth if you include the 2017 national championship game) with Steve Sarkisian. 

“Like we have a new guy come in. I'm saying, ‘We're not changing what we call stuff.’ I mean there's 100 guys in this building that already know all this," Saban said. "You’re the only guy that doesn't, so you learn it. They have to be willing to be a part of the team and do things and buy into the way we do things here.”

The documentary first airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. CT. 

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