Nick Saban discusses 2015 staff, which included CFP's top-4 coaches
Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s coaching tree spread far and wide across college football. With three former assistants coaching in the SEC, and more across the country, he has consistently produced head coaches the same way he produces first-round draft picks.
When the College Football Playoff Selection Committee unveiled its first CFP rankings of the season, analysts noticed a peculiar trend. All four teams inside the top four were coached by Nick Saban or his former assistants. Furthermore, all four worked together on the 2015 national championship team.
Nick Saban addressed the coaching firepower on the 2015 staff and how important good assistants are to his Alabama program during the SEC’s Wednesday teleconference.
“We’ve always had success here because of the people in the organization and that most certainly starts with the coaching staff that we’ve had,” said Saban. “We’ve had some fantastic coaches here that have done an outstanding job with our players. It’s no surprise to me that they’re doing extremely well in their own programs now and I think actually do have some of the best teams in the country.”
2015 Alabama staff
The reveal of the first College Football Playoff rankings for 2021 was certainly interesting but Nick Saban provided one of the most incredible tidbits of the night. With Georgia, Alabama, Michigan State and Oregon coming out on top of the rankings, the top four programs all feature head coaches that were on Nick Saban’s 2015 staff in Tuscaloosa.
In 2015, Nick Saban was in his ninth year as the head coach of the University of Alabama. Kirby Smart was in his eighth and last year as Saban’s defensive coordinator. Mel Tucker was in his first year at Alabama coaching defensive backs and Mario Cristobal was in his third year as Saban’s offensive line coach.
The 2015 team won the SEC with one loss to Ole Miss. They also won the National Championship, beating Clemson 45-40. Running back Derrick Henry also won the Heisman Trophy.
Kirby Smart left Alabama for Georgia after the National Championship, taking Mel Tucker with him. Mario Cristobal stayed one more season at Alabama before joining Willie Taggart at Oregon and eventually taking over. Also on Nick Saban’s staff in 2015: Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and Louisiana head coach Billy Napier.
Other coaches from the 2015 staff include current NFL assistants Burton Burns (New York Giants) and Tosh Lupoi (Jacksonville Jaguars). Charlie Weis Jr., who served as an offensive analyst, is the offensive coordinator at South Florida.