Nick Saban is widely considered one of the disciples of Bill Belichick, who has carved a legendary coaching legacy with the New England Patriots.
Saban has also earned his place in history with the Alabama Crimson Tide long after he was defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns under Belichick in the early 1990s. But Saban told attendees at the American Football Coaches Association convention he does not recall those years fondly.
Saban says 4 years with belichick were the worst of his life.
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) January 13, 2014
Big Nick pic.twitter.com/CDdUYPyAe0
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) January 13, 2014
Saban was defensive coordinator from 1991-94, helping the team achieve a winning season of 11-5 with the best defense in the NFL in 1994 before leaving to become head coach at Michigan State. He became head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2005 but returned to the NCAA after two seasons, taking over at Alabama and winning three BCS national championships in four years.
Belichick described his relationship with Saban to reporters during a teleconference in December, saying that the years in Cleveland were hard "for both of us because we had a great personal relationship but we're trying to win, trying to beat each other.
"I love that he's at Alabama and he's not in our division," Belichick added. "He's not shutting us out like he did the last time we played him down there in Miami. But it's so much better that way on a personal level."
