With a career as a head coach that spans across three decades, four different schools and even a short-lived stint as an NFL head coach, it’s hard to overstate the mark Nick Saban has made on the college football landscape.
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. And he’s only lost to a couple of them (so far).
We’ve compiled a list of every Nick Saban assistant who later went on to be a head coach at the college or pro level. Behold, the Nick Saban Coaching Tree:
Jimbo Fisher
Head coach at Florida State 2010-2017, Texas A&M 2018-present
Worked with Saban: LSU 2000-2004, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Kirby Smart
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
Head coach at Florida 2011-2014, South Carolina 2016-2020
Worked with Saban: LSU 2001-2004, linebackers coach, defensive coordinator
Jeremy Pruitt
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
Head coach at Cincinnati 2004-2006, Michigan State 2007-2019
Worked with Saban: Michigan State 1995-1999, defensive backs coach
Lane Kiffin
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
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
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
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
Mel Tucker
Head coach at Colorado 2019, Michigan State 2020-present
Worked with Saban: Michigan State 1997-1998, graduate assistant; LSU 2000, defensive backs coach; Alabama 2015, defensive backs coach
Steve Sarkisian
Head coach at Washington 2009-2013, USC 2014-2015, Texas 2021-present
Worked with Saban: Alabama 2016, analyst; Alabama 2019-2020, offensive coordinator and QBs coach
Butch Jones
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
Head coach at Louisiana 2018-2021, Florida 2012-present
Worked with Saban: Alabama 2011, analyst; Alabama 2013-2016, wide receivers coach
Mario Cristobal
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
Head coach at New Mexico 2009-2011, Maryland 2019-present
Worked with Saban: Alabama 2016-2018, offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach
Jason Garrett
Head coach at Dallas Cowboys 2011-2019
Worked with Saban: Miami Dolphins 2005-2006, quarterbacks coach
Dan Quinn
Head coach at Atlanta Falcons 2015-2020
Worked with Saban: Miami Dolphins 2005-2006, defensive line coach
Mike Mularkey
Head coach at Buffalo Bills 2004-2005, Jacksonville Jaguars 2012, Tennessee Titans 2016-2017
Worked with Saban: Miami Dolphins 2006, offensive coordinator
Adam Gase
Head coach at Miami Dolphins 20016-2018, New York Jets 2019-2020
Worked with Saban: LSU 2000-2002, assistant
Pat Shurmur
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
Head coach at Houston 2017-2018
Worked with Saban: Alabama 2007, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach; Alabama 2019-2020, analyst
Geoff Collins
Head coach at Temple 2017-2018, Georgia Tech 2019-2022
Worked with Saban: Alabama 2007, director of player personnel
Curt Cignetti
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
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
Head coach at Oregon 2022-present
Worked with Saban: Alabama 2015, graduate assistant
Charles Huff
Head coach at Marshall 2021-present
Worked with Saban: Alabama 2019-2020, running backs coach
