Nick Saban reveals why he keeps staff of analysts at Alabama

If a college football head coach is fired and Nick Saban knows them, then that former coach almost always becomes an analyst on Saban’s staff at Alabama. It’s a consistent theme that’s been going on for years during Saban’s tenure in Tuscaloosa, and it has led to those former head coaches working their way back up the ladder rather quickly.

From Steve Sarkisian to Charlie Strong and Butch Jones to Mike Stoops, Saban has had plenty of big-name coaches serve as analysts on his staff over the years. Looking at the veteran head coach’s analyst staff for the upcoming 2022 season, it includes names like Todd Grantham (former Florida defensive coordinator), Cornelius Williams (former Auburn wide receivers coach) and Derek Dooley (former Tennessee head coach).

Meeting with the media following an Alabama spring practice last week, Saban was asked why he continues to have a staff of analysts and what they bring to his program.

“The biggest benefit is, I think, for me, they make a tremendous contribution to the things that we’re doing,” Saban said. “It’s good to have their energy, enthusiasm and ideas, but for me, it’s a great opportunity for me to evaluate what kind of people, how smart, what their knowledge is, and what kind of relationships they have with other people on the staff, how they present themselves and when we talk about things from a football standpoint.

“It helps me to know people out there that I may want to have on our staff someday. Great example is Mike Locksley. … Was here as an intern, then I really liked him, made him receiver coach, then after one more year he was the offensive coordinator, and then after one more year he’s the head coach at Maryland. I didn’t know Mike Locksley and I would’ve never hired him if it wasn’t for that experience. It’s a combination of things.”

Saban added that while his analyst hires are often hyped up because of who the names are, he simply chooses the coaches he does to only help out his program.

“People think that they contribute to making big-time changes. … I don’t think they do,” Saban said. “I just think they help us analyze the things we’re doing and make the things that we’re doing better.”