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Nick Saban’s coaching tree has seemingly grown exponentially since he arrived at Alabama. It feels like half the coaches in the conference are now Alabama disciples.
Saban’s success is really rooted from his time before arriving in Tuscaloosa. He had success at Michigan State and LSU. He helped influence Mark Dantonio, the Spartans’ head coach who will go up against the Crimson Tide in Thursday’s College Football Playoff game at the Cotton Bowl.
Learning from Saban is truly a gift for many.
Michigan State co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Harlon Barnett compared it to getting training from Yoda.
MSU co-DC/DB coach Harlon Barnett on his time as a GA with LSU under Nick Saban: "It was like taking notes from Yoda."
— Alex Byington (@_AlexByington) December 27, 2015
For those unfamiliar with the Star Wars Universe, that is some high praise. That is like learning from the best. And this was while Saban was still at LSU, not quite establishing the dominance he has at Alabama.
Barnett added: “He’s an excellent teacher if you can muffle out the yelling and screaming.”
Saban can be demanding and he expects perfection it seems from everyone around him. And they typically deliver.
Going up against him, even as a former disciple? Well, that has not equaled a lot of success for anybody. The pupil has not quite met the master. Certainly not in a big game like the one upcoming.
