While Nick Saban is no longer roaming the SEC sidelines each fall Saturday, the legendary Alabama Crimson Tide football coach is still a busy man. In addition to his various commercial endeavors, his weekly appearances on ESPN’s College GameDay have become must-see TV.
Saban’s fingerprints stretch far throughout college football and beyond, The 2024 season began with a total of nine coaches who worked under Saban as either offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, or a position coach at Alabama who are head coaches at Power Four programs.
Three more coach who were on-field assistants for Saban are at Group of Five schools, bringing the number of former coordinators and position coaches turned college head coaches to 12.
Saban’s reach also extends to the NFL, where former Alabama offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is in his third season as head coach of the New York Giants. Dan Quinn, Saban’s former offensive coordinator with the Miami Dolphins, is in his first season with the Washington Commanders.
With the limbs of Saban’s coaching tree extending all over the country, Roll Tide Wire put together this list of former Saban assistants — divided into separate categories: head coaches, offensive or defensive coordinators, positions coaches and graduate assistants. We also included former head coaches, plus those who worked as one of Saban’s infamous “analysts.”
With that, here’s every member of the Nick Saban coaching tree at an active coaching position, along with salary information from the USA TODAY Sports College Football Head Coach Salaries Database:
Head Coaches
These are the number of former Saban assistants, coordinators, position coaches, and others who are head coaches in 2024.
Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2016-present
Role under Saban: Defensive Coordinator (2008-15)
Accolades: Smart led Georgia to back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 and has made the College Football Playoff three times.
In terms of results, Smart is unquestionably the most successful member of the Nick Saban coaching tree. He ended a 41-year championship drought in Athens with a win over his mentor in the 2022 College Football Playoff Championship, then followed it up with a 15-0 championship encore a year later. Smart fell to 1-6 in his career as head coach against Alabama after the Bulldogs’ 41-34 loss to the Crimson Tide in September.
2024 Salary: $13,282,580
Rating: On point
Steve Sarkisian, Texas Longhorns (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2021-present
Role under Saban: Offensive Coordinator (2016, 2019-20)
Accolades: Sarkisian guided Texas to a Big 12 championship and an appearance in the College Football Playoff in 2023. Far and away the most likely former Saban assistant to win a national championship, Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns were ranked No. 1 in the country before their loss to Georgia in Week 8. Even with that loss, Texas is still one of the most talented teams in the nation. The only thing standing between the ‘Horns and the College Football Playoff are themselves.
2024 Salary: $10.6 million
Rating: On point
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2020-present
Role under Saban: Offensive Coordinator (2014-16)
Accolades: Kiffin has led Ole Miss to two 10-win seasons, including a New Year’s Six bowl victory over Penn State in the 2023 Peach Bowl.
No single coaching staff hire under Saban at Alabama was more important or impactful than Kiffin. With the rise of hurry-up, no-huddle offenses throughout college football in the early 2010s, and a stinging loss to an upstart Auburn Tigers program that cost Saban and Alabama a chance at a three-peat national championship, Saban knew he had to adapt to the landscape around him.
“Is this what we want college football to be?” Saban famously asked in 2012. Many national analysts and rival fan bases accused Saban of whining. In reality, they should have taken his question as a threat. With Kiffin as play-caller, Alabama put together three teams that were national championship contenders, including the 2015 team that won Saban his fourth title at Alabama — even if Kiffin and Saban weren’t always on the same page.
2024 Salary: $9 million
Rating: On point
Mario Cristobal, Miami Hurricanes (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2022-present
Role under Saban: Assistant Head Coach, Offensive Line Coach, Recruiting Coordinator (2013-16)
Accolades: While at Alabama, Cristobal’s unit took home the 2015 Joe Moore Award, given to the nation’s best offensive line. A month later, Alabama defeated the Clemson Tigers, 45-40, in an epic national championship game in Glendale, Ariz. As a head coach, Cristobal led Oregon to a 12-win season and a Rose Bowl victory in 2019.
Like both Kiffin and Sarkisian, Cristobal was another coach who was fired at his first head coaching stop (in his case, by FIU) before landing in Tuscaloosa. Now. he’s trying to revive his alma mater Miami Hurricane back into a national power. The ‘Canes are 7-0 and are ranked No. 5 in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll.
2024 Salary: $7,783,059
Rating: On point
Billy Napier, Florida Gators (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2022-present
Role under Saban: Wide Receivers Coach (2013-16)
Accolades: Napier won a national championship ring at Alabama in 2015 with a position group that included Calvin Ridley, ArDarius Stewart, and tight end-receiver hybrid O.J. Howard. Like Cristobal, Napier was an elite recruiter who helped bring in Ridley as well as future Alabama stars Jerry Jeudy, Trevon Diggs, and others.
Now in his third season in Gainesville, things look bleak for Napier as Gators head coach. His team got off to a 5-2 start last year before ending the season on a five-game losing streak that cost them a shot at a bowl game. Napier did well enough in his first head coaching stint at Louisiana to become an attractive hire for Florida AD Scott Stricklin, and he’ll coach somewhere again once the sands of the hourglass run out in The Swamp.
2024 Salary: $7,370,000
Rating: Overpaid
Mike Locksley, Maryland Terrapins (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2019-present
Roles under Saban: Wide Receivers Coach (2017), Offensive Coordinator (2018)
Accolades: Another guy who joined Saban’s staff as an analyst before working his way up to an on-field role, Locksley eventually took over as offensive coordinator in 2018. That year, with Tua Tagovailoa in his first full season at quarterback, Alabama had one of the most explosive offenses in the nation. Since being named head coach at Maryland, Locksley has led the Terrapins to two 8-win seasons and three bowl-game victories. His Terps defeated the USC Trojans, 29-28, last Saturday.
2024 Salary: $5.8 million
Rating: On point
Brent Key, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2022-present
Role under Saban: Offensive Line Coach (2016-18)
Accolades: Key has Georgia Tech at 5-3 this season after leading the Yellow Jackets to a 7-6 season in his first full year as head coach in 2023. Tech’s 30-17 Gasparilla Bowl win over UCF was the program’s first bowl victory since defeating Kentucky in the 2016 Gator Bowl. It also marked the Jackets’ first winning season since 2018.
2024 Salary: $2.9 million
Rating: On point
Curt Cignetti, Indiana Hoosiers (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2024-present
Role under Saban: Wide Receivers Coach, Recruiting Coordinator (2007-10)
Accolades: A member of Saban’s first coaching staff at Alabama, Cignetti was a central figure in the recruitment of program-defining stars like Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, and others from the Tide’s vaunted 2008 class. His efforts paid off when Alabama defeated Texas, 37-21, in the 2009 BCS Championship Game in Pasadena to snap a 17-year championship drought in Tuscaloosa.
In his first year in Bloomington, the 63-year-old Cignetti has the Hoosiers off to their best start since 1967. Indiana is 7-0 and ranked No. 13 in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll following a 56-7 beatdown of the Nebraska Cornhuskers over the weekend.
2024 Salary: $4.25 million
Rating: Underpaid
Jim McElwain, Central Michigan Chippewas (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2019-present
Role under Saban: Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks Coach (2008-2011)
Accolades: McElwain put together some memorable games as offensive coordinator for Alabama between 2008-2011. His game plan for both the 2009 SEC Championship against Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators and the 2012 BCS National Championship Game against the LSU Tigers are the two best examples of that. McElwain left for his first head coaching opportunity after 2011 with Colorado State before parlaying that into the head coaching job with the Florida Gators from 2015-17.
2024 Salary: $1,048,493
Rating: On point
Major Applewhite, South Alabama Jaguars (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2024-present
Role under Saban: Offensive Coordinator (2007)
Accolades: Another member of Saban’s first Alabama coaching staff, Applewhite didn’t stay long in Tuscaloosa before reuniting with his alma mater and former head coach Mack Brown at Texas. After being fired at the University of Houston, Applewhite would return to Tuscaloosa as an analyst for two seasons (2019-20). He replaced current Tide defensive coordinator Kane Wommack as head coach at South Alabama in January.
2024 Salary: $825,000
Rating: On point
Charles Huff, Marshall Thundering Herd (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2021-present
Role under Saban: Associate Head Coach, Running Backs Coach (2019-20)
Accolades: Huff was running backs coach at Alabama when both Najee Harris and Brian Robinson starred in the Crimson Tide backfield before going on to the NFL. He has since led Marshall to three straight bowl games and a 26-21 upset of No. 8 Notre Dame in South Bend in September 2022. Huff became one of the youngest head coaches in college football when he was hired by Marshall at 37 years old.
2024 Salary: $755,000
Rating: Underpaid
Lance Taylor, Western Michigan Broncos (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2023-present
Role under Saban: Graduate Assistant (2007-08)
Accolades: Taylor was a walk-on receiver at Alabama for Mike DuBose before earning a scholarship. After being a GA for two seasons in Tuscaloosa, Taylor went on to make several stops throughout the NFL and college football, including New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and Notre Dame.
He was offensive coordinator at Louisville before being named head coach at Western Michigan in December 2022. Taylor has the Broncos in first place at 3-0 in MAC play (4-3 overall) in his second season in Kalamazoo.
2024 Salary: $850,000
Rating: On point
Butch Jones, Arkansas State Red Wolves (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2021-present
Role under Saban: Analyst (2018-2020)
Accolades: Jones was head coach at Cincinnati from 2010-12, and at Tennessee from 2013-17. He’s now in his fourth season at Arkansas State.
All that aside, Alabama players loved Jones in his three seasons in Tuscaloosa, and it was hard for the fans not to, as well. Jones was fired by Tennessee (two years after almost leading the Vols to an upset of the Crimson Tide in 2015). But Alabama was 3-0 with three blowout wins against Tennessee in Jones’ three years in Tuscaloosa.
2024 Salary: $825,000
Rating: Overpaid
Bill O’Brien, Boston College Eagles (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2024-present
Role under Saban: Offensive Coordinator (2021-22)
Accolades(?): O’Brien’s tenure in Tuscaloosa was complicated. On the one hand, the numbers tell the story of a successful play-caller. Alabama was sixth in total offense in 2021 and fourth in 2022. Having a Heisman Trophy winner in Bryce Young at quarterback certainly helped that. But O’Brien received (well-deserved) criticism from Alabama fans for, among other things, his play-calling in the red zone and late-game situations.
2024 Salary: Not public
Brian Daboll, New York Giants (head coach)
Years in Current Role: 2022-present
Role under Saban: Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks Coach (2017)
Accolades: Daboll is a bit of an interesting name in the sense that he’d been an NFL lifer beginning in 2000 and had worked his way up to tight ends coach on Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots staff from 2013-2016, winning two Super Bowl rings in the process.
His role at Alabama lasted for just one season but he helped the Tide win its 17th national championship in the thrilling 26-23 walk-off victory over the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in January 2018. That was Daboll’s only paid staff position at the college level after serving as a graduate assistant on Saban’s Michigan Staff staff for two seasons. He returned to the NFL in 2018 and became head coach of the Giants in 2022.
Salary: $2-4 million annually
Rating: Overpaid
Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders head coach)
Years as Head Coach: 2024-present
Role under Saban: Defensive Line Coach (2005)
Accolades: While Quinn never coached at Alabama, he was a member of Saban’s 2005 staff with the Miami Dolphins. In his first go-round as head coach, Quinn led the Atlanta Falcons to only their second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history in 2016. Now in his first season as Washington head coach, he has the Commanders at 5-2 and in first place in the NFC East after a 40-7 blowout win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Salary: $4.5 million
Rating: On point
Coordinators, Position Coaches
These are the former Saban staff members who serve as coordinators or position coaches with various college or NFL teams.
Tosh Lupoi (defensive coordinator, Oregon Ducks)
Years in Current Role: 2022-present
Roles under Saban: Outside Linebackers Coach (2016-18), Defensive Coordinator (2018)
2024 Salary: $1.7 million
Rating: On point
Pat Shurmur, Colorado Buffaloes (offensive coordinator)
Years in Current Role: 2023-present
Roles under Saban: Tight Ends Coach, Special Teams Coach/Coordinator (1995-97 at Michigan State)
Accolades: Shurmur was a member of Saban’s first coaching staff at Michigan State before joining Andy Reid’s first coaching staff with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999. He became head coach of the Cleveland Browns for two seasons (2011-12) and later the New York Giants (2018-19). Shurmur is in his second season as offensive coordinator under Coach Prime at Colorado.
2024 Salary: $800,000
Rating: Overpaid
Pete Golding, Ole Miss Rebels (defensive coordinator)
Years in Current Role: 2023-present
Role under Saban: Defensive Coordinator (2019-22)
Accolades: Golding was Saban’s defensive coordinator for four up-and-down seasons, including the 2020 national championship season.
Salary: $2.15 million
Rating: Overpaid
Geoff Collins, North Carolina Tar Heels (defensive coordinator)
Years in Current Role: 2024-present
Role under Saban: Alabama Director of Player Personal (2007)
Accolades: Collins was defensive coordinator at Mississippi State for two years (2013-14). In Starkville, the Bulldogs rose to a No. 1 ranking in the polls for five straight weeks before losing to eventual SEC Champion Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Collins went on to become head coach at Toledo for two seasons before accepting the same position at Georgia Tech from 2019-2022.
Salary: $1.1 million
Ranking: Overpaid
Freddie Kitchens, North Carolina Tar Heels (tight ends coach, run game coordinator)
Years in Current Role: 2023-present
Role under Saban: Graduate Assistant (2000)
Accolades: Kitchens was Alabama’s starting quarterback for parts of four seasons between 1993-97, leading the Crimson Tide to a win over Michigan in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day 1997. He joined Saban’s first LSU staff in 2000 as a graduate assistant for one year before getting his first full-time position coach (at North Texas) a year later.
His résumé includes coaching stints with the Cleveland Browns (where he was head coach for one season), New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. Kitchens is in his second season on Mack Brown’s staff at UNC.
Salary: $560,000, per the USA TODAY Sports College Football Salaries Database.
Ranking: Overpaid
Former Head Coaches
A list of former Saban assistant coaches or various staff members who went on to serve as head coaches at the college level.
Jimbo Fisher (former Florida State Seminoles, Texas A&M Aggies head coach)
Years as Head Coach: 2010-17 at Florida State; 2018-2023 at Texas A&M
Role under Saban: Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks Coach (2000-2003)
Accolades: Fisher was offensive coordinator at LSU when Saban won his first national championship as a head coach in 2003, the Tigers’ first since 1958. As head coach, Fisher led Florida State to a national title in 2013 after a thrilling game-winning drive against Auburn in the Rose Bowl. A decade later. the Aggies fired Fisher midway through the 2023 season. At last check, there’s no real love lost between Saban and Fisher.
Mark Dantonio (former Michigan State Spartans head coach)
Years at Head Coach: 2007-2019
Role under Saban: Defensive Backs Coach (1995-1999)
A standout member of Saban’s coaching staff in East Lansing, Dantonio would go on to become the winningest coach in Michigan State history. He led the Spartans to six bowl game wins, including the 2014 Rose Bowl. He and Saban met as adversaries twice in bowl games, including the 2015 Cotton Bowl semifinal playoff game that Alabama won 38-0.
2019 Salary: $4.39 million
Bobby Williams (former Michigan State Spartans head coach)
Years as Head Coach: 2000-2002
Roles under Saban: Running Backs Coach (1995-1999), Wide Receivers Coach (2004), Running Backs Coach (2006-2007), Tight Ends Coach and Special Teams Coordinator (2008-2015)
Accolades: No one donned more hats than Williams, a veritable jack-of-all-trades who coached four different position groups between his time as an assistant at Michigan State, his one season with Saban at LSU, and later at Alabama. Williams was an excellent recruiter while at Alabama.
Derek Dooley (former Louisiana Tech, Tennessee Volunteers head coach)
Years as Head Coach: 2007-2009 at Louisiana Tech; 2010-2012 at Tennessee
Roles under Saban: Recruiting Coordinator, Tight Ends Coach (2000-2003), Assistant Head Coach, Running Backs Coach (2003), Offensive Analyst (2022-2023)
Accolades: The son of coaching legend Vince Dooley, Derek Dooley had only one winning season in six years as a head coach. In 2008, he led Louisiana Tech to the school’s first bowl game victory as an FBS member.
Jeremy Pruitt (former Tennessee Volunteers head coach)
Years as Head Coach: 2018-2020
Roles under Saban: Director of Player Development, Defensive Backs Coach (2007-12), Defensive Coordinator (2016-17)
Accolades: Pruitt was the defensive backs coach at a time when Alabama had future NFL starters like Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick, Landon Collins, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. When he returned to Alabama in 2016 after brief stints at Florida State and Georgia, his defenses included Jonathan Allen, Marlon Humphrey, Eddie Jackson, and a host of other future NFL stars.
Will Muschamp (former Florida Gators, South Carolina Gamecocks head coach)
Years as Head Coach: 2011-14 at Florida; 2016-20 at South Carolina
Roles under Saban: Linebackers Coach (2001), Defensive Coordinator (2002-04)
Accolades: Muschamp was defensive coordinator on Saban’s 2003 national championship team at LSU and would follow him to the NFL with the Dolphins in 2005. As head coach at Florida, “Boom” led the Gators to three winning seasons, including an 11-win campaign and a Sugar Bowl appearance in 2012. At South Carolina, he had two winning seasons that included an Outback Bowl victory over Michigan. He’s currently a defensive analyst for Kirby Smart at Georgia.
Josh McDaniels (former Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders head coach)
Years as Head Coach: 2009-10 (Denver), 2022-23 (Las Vegas)
Role under Saban: Graduate Assistant (1999)
Accolades: While his time with Saban was short, McDaniels would win five Super Bowl rings as an assistant on Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots staff.
Adam Gase (former Miami Dolphins, New York Jets head coach)
Years as Head Coach: 2016-18 (Miami); 2019-20 (New York)
Roles under Saban: Graduate Assistant (2020), Recruiting Assistant (2001-02)
Accolades: Gase’s coaching career (and awkward press conferences) left a lot to be desired. He led the Dolphins to their first playoff appearance in eight years in 2016.
Miami Dolphins Assistants under Saban
This is a list of Saban’s assistants from his two seasons as head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2006-07.
Jason Garrett (former Dallas Cowboys head coach)
Years as Head Coach: 2010-19
Role under Saban: 2005-06 (Quarterbacks Coach)
Accolades: Garrett had only one losing season in Dallas. He advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs three times but could never get the Cowboys to their first appearance in the NFC Championship Game since 1995.
Scott Linehan (former St. Louis Rams head coach)
Years as Head Coach: 2006-08
Role under Saban: Offensive Coordinator: 2005
Linehan inherited a no-win situation with the Rams in their post-“Greatest Show on Turf” era in 2006. He led the team to a respectable 8-8 finish in his first season before the wheels came off. Linehan was fired four games into the 2008 season after compiling a 12-16 overall record. He was an offensive analyst for the Missouri Tigers in 2021.
Mike Mularkey (former Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans head coach)
Years as Head Coach: 2012 (Jacksonville); 2016-17 (Tennessee)
Role under Saban: Offensive Coordinator (2006)
Mularkey had two NFL head coaching stints. In his second, with the Tennessee Titans in 2017, he led the team to a playoff berth after a 9-7 regular season. The Titans scored a 22-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round before falling to the Patriots, 35-14.