Alabama coach Nick Saban explains how Bill Belichick has influenced his career

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Nick Saban will coach for his sixth national title with Alabama on Monday night when the Crimson Tide play Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Saban has become the best college football coach in the modern era, but it's safe to say he wouldn't have enjoyed the same success if he didn't learn so much from another legendary coach, Bill Belichick.

Belichick, a winner of five Super Bowl titles as head coach of the New England Patriots, has known Saban for decades, and the two worked together on the Cleveland Browns coaching staff in the 1990s.

Saban recently sat down with ESPN's Tim Tebow for an interview, and the Alabama coach talked about his history with Belichick, and his dad, Steve Belichick.

“Bill’s a really good friend,” Saban said. “And it started way back when I actually coached with his father at the Naval Academy in 1981 or something. (Bill's dad) was a great guy and a great coach. And I got to know Bill and we shared ideas in football. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and what he’s been able to do.

Tebow asked which coach has given more to the other, Saban to Belichick, or Belichick to Saban. 

“I don’t think there’s any question that he’s given more to me,” Saban continued. “I mean, I learned probably more when I was a defensive coordinator at Cleveland working under him for four years. Not just about football, but about the organization of having a good program and how to define the expectations for people in your organization so that they know exactly what to expect and exactly what you expected from them so that they could do their job well."

Does Saban have a "Do Your Job" mentality at Alabama? It would make a lot of sense given the program's incredible success since Saban took over in 2007.

Belichick was very complimentary of Saban in December after Alabama beat Georgia to win the SEC Championship Game and secure a spot in the CFP. The Patriots coach said "there’s nobody I have more respect for in football than Nick Saban, period."

For as much success as Belichick and Saban have enjoyed as coaches, they have won a Super Bowl and a national title in the same season just once, back in 2003 when Saban was with LSU. Perhaps that will change this season.

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