Exploring the Relationship: Have Bill Belichick and Nick Saban Ever Coached Together for the Same NFL Team?

Born in the same year in 1952, two of the greatest football head coaches met at a dinner in 1982 where a powerful friendship was formed. Bill Belichick, who was the then LB and special teams coach for the New York Giants, was introduced by his father to Nick Saban who was an assistant coach at Navy. The two hit it off immediately given their mutual interest in football and passion for greatness, no wonder they both went on to become the GOATs in their respective careers. 

As destiny would have it, the two phenomenal HCs left their long-time teams in January 2024. Bill Belichick ended his tenure in the NFL with the New England Patriots after leading them to six Super Bowls while Nick Saban called it quits after spending 17 seasons with Alabama college football with six National Championships. Interestingly similar in their records and incidents, let’s check out if the two coaches also coached together in the NFL. 

Bill Belichick and Nick Saban coached together and against each other

When Bill Belichick became an NFL HC for the first time with the Cleveland Browns in 1991, his long-time friend was the first coach he hired. He previously told NFL Films that Nick Saban was the cause of the success they had at Cleveland, “Nick was the first coach I hired and the best coach I hired. Nick was really my No. 1 partner there, and I relied on him so heavily on every level.” As for Saban, he said of Belichick’s leadership under whom the coaches worked for 17-18 hours, “It was one of the best experiences of my coaching career. It was one of the most difficult, but I learned a tremendous amount, and it’s really helped me probably more, as much as anything in my career.”

After parting ways when Saban left to become a college football HC for Michigan State, Belichick joined the Patriots as the HC. Then, Saban eventually became the HC for the Miami Dolphins for two seasons in 2005 and 2006. As HCs of different NFL teams, the two friends played against each other in four games with an ultimate result of 2-2. And now that they’ve both left their success with their former teams, let’s see what’s up with them now.

What are Nick Saban and Bill Belichick up to now?

After leaving college football as the HC, Nick Saban was hired by ESPN to become an analyst on the “College GameDay.” He’ll also have a role to play in the upcoming coverage of the NFL Draft on ESPN. Having won nine SEC titles, Saban will also appear on the SEC Media Days. 

Bill Belichick, on the other hand, is entering the 2024 season with an HC role for the first time since 1975 after failing to land a position for the upcoming season. But unlike Saban who’s announced his retirement as an HC, the 3x AP NFL Coach of the Year is still hopeful to return as a coach with interest in three potential NFL teams – New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys.

It’ll be interesting to keep a tab on the two GOATs in their upcoming journey.