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Former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton shared his thoughts on what makes Nick Saban and Bill Belichick exceptional coaches. He said this during an analysis on the Monday episode of his “4th&1 With Cam Newton.”
The former Heisman Trophy winner highlighted the impact the two coaches have on players. He said (1:08):
“I’ve always respected, and I’ve used his name a lot in this program over the last couple of weeks, Nick Saban. That’s why you can appreciate guys like Bill Belichick because they take good players and they transform them into great players. They take great players and transform them into elite players. See, this is the thing that most coaches don’t realize: that just because you have a talent doesn’t mean that you’re bringing the best out of that talent. And sometimes that talent doesn’t even respect you enough as a coach and you’re not willing to accept that.”
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Tebow spent his college career playing for three great coaches. The quarterback played under national championship-winning coach Urban Meyer at Florida before transferring to Blinn College, where he played for Brad Franchione. His best year was under Gene Chizik when he helped the Auburn Tigers win the SEC and national championships in 2010, and he also won the Heisman Trophy.
Nick Saban and Bill Belichick are familiar with each other, despite excelling at different levels of football. Saban served as Belichick’s defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns from 1991 to 1994, years that Saban later described as his worst.
Saban left Cleveland a season before Belichick was shown the door to coach the Michigan State Spartans. He would go on to win his first national championship at LSU before another brief stint in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins. He returned to Alabama in 2007 for what is arguably the most successful coaching tenure in the history of college football.
Nick Saban to watch Bill Belichick’s debut college game
While Bill Belichick is moving into a post-Nick Saban college landscape, the former Alabama coach will be there to watch Belichick's college debut. However, he won't be on the opposing sideline but as a neutral media analyst covering the game for ESPN.
The Tar Heels will kick off their 2025 season with a matchup against the TCU Horned Frogs at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. It is a much-anticipated game, as many will be itching to witness Bill Belichick’s baptism of fire into college football.
