Nick Saban took the Alabama head football coaching position after coaching the Miami Dolphins for two years and previously coaching Alabama's SEC Western division rival, LSU.

Saban was an assistant coach at Kent State, Syracuse, West Virginia, Ohio State, Navy and Michigan State in NCAA Division I-A, and with the Houston Oilers and Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. Having worked under Bill Belichick in Cleveland, he is part of the Belichick coaching tree.