Bill Belichick and Nick Saban are regarded as two of the greatest football coaches of all time. Their bond goes back to the early 1990s, when Saban coached under Belichick for the Cleveland Browns. Since then, they’ve had a tight friendship and held each other with high respect. Saban attributes a lot of his early and most important lessons as a coach to Belichick.
On “The Pivot” podcast, a host read a text from Belichick to Saban that said Saban was “in a league of his own” as a coach. In response of the praise from another legendary head coach, Saban took the opportunity to tell a story of how Belichick taught him how to properly evaluate players.
How Bill Belichick Taught Nick Saban To Scout Players
Saban first talked about Belichick’s method to evaluate defensive backs, saying, “If you weren’t 6’0″ and weighed 180 pounds and ran less than a 4.5, to play corner then (you couldn’t play).”
Saban then went on to talk about how Belichick taught him that hype around a player doesn’t matter, saying, “Josh Jacobs had no stars,” talking about the current star running back for the Green Bay Packers.
Saban talked about how his Alabama Crimson Tide staff had recruited running backs Jacobs and Damien Harris together. Jacobs was a zero-star recruit, while Harris was a five-star recruit. Jacobs became the first-team RB, while Harris became the backup. Jacobs went on to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, while Harris was a third-round pick.
It was incredible to hear how Belichick’s philosophies translated to Saban’s future philosophies, but there is also a very important lesson to be learned from the Jacobs story.
No matter where a player is ranked by the media, or the hype he has, if he fits your mold and you believe him to be a future star, bring him into your program.
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On the flipside, it also is important that if a five-star player doesn’t fit your mold, and you don’t believe him to be a future star, then don’t hesitate to pass up on that player.
Saban and Belichick are both legends and some of the greatest to ever do it, and their respect for each other, as well as their willingness to learn from one another, is a major reason why.
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