Two legendary head coaches in Nick Saban and Bill Belichick are both navigating different phases of their careers. Saban, who retired from Alabama in 2024, is now an analyst with ESPN's "College GameDay." Belichick is in his first season as the head coach at North Carolina.
On Saturday morning, Belichick and Saban got to reconnect during a pre-game interview on GameDay. The two coaches were together with the Cleveland Browns in the 1990s. The two had a pretty hilarious exchange during the interview, with Saban saying Belichick was full of a certain something.
Here's a look at how it all went down.
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What did Nick Saban say to Bill Belichick?
Belichick was asked about the relationship he shared with Saban while the two coached together in Cleveland. Belichick mentioned the new defensive schemes Saban brought, including man-to-man coverage in the secondary and a 4-3.
Belichick added that he learned a lot from Saban over the years. That's when Saban said he was full of sh–:"
"I never thought in all the time we've been friends that I'd say you're full of s---. But I learned a lot more from you than you ever learned from me."
— ESPN (@espn) October 4, 2025
Nick Saban and Bill Belichick have nothing but respect for one another 👏
(🎥 @CollegeGameDay) pic.twitter.com/xy1UxZHgor
"Nobody worked harder than Nick did, both on the field and in evaluation of players in the spring and everything," Belichick continued later in the interview. "He looked at every single guy, from every nose tackle to every corner that was on the draft board and his evaluations probably counted more than anyone else's did."
It's great to see these two legendary coaches—known for their fiery demeanors on the sideline—be able to chop it up like this. These two former colleagues share a strong friendship they've developed over the years, ever since their days with the Browns.
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Bill Belichick-Nick Saban relationship
Saban was hired by Belichick as his defensive coordinator in 1991, when he took the head coaching job with the Browns. Saban had spent the last season as the head coach at Toledo. In 1994, the Browns had a breakthrough season, finishing 11-5 and earning a playoff bid for the first time since 1989. Cleveland allowed just 12.8 points per game, the fewest in the NFL that year.
The Browns, ironically, went on to defeat the Patriots in the wild-card round before losing to the Steelers in the divisional round.
The two have spoken about their relationship before. In 2019, HBO released a documentary about the pair's relationship and their legendary careers, called "The Art of Coaching."
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Bill Belichick’s slow start at North Carolina
Belichick's tenure at UNC hasn't exactly gotten off to a hot start. The Tar Heels lost 48-14 at home in Week 1, and fell 34-9 on the road to UCF on Sept. 20.
You can assume Saban might have some advice for his friend on navigating his first season in Chapel Hill. During Saban's first season at Alabama, the Tide finished 7-6 with a home loss to Louisiana-Monroe.