Bill Belichick: 'Nobody I Have More Respect for in Football Than Nick Saban'
It was a good weekend for a pair of former Browns coaches.
On Saturday, former Cleveland defensive coordinator Nick Saban led Alabama to its fourth-straight College Football Playoff appearance in a win over Georgia. And on Sunday, Bill Belichick—who coached the Browns from 1991-95—snagged a victory of his own, leading the Patriots to a 24-10 win over the Vikings.
Belichick was asked about Saban's SEC title game victory on Monday, and he didn't hesitate to offer praise of his ex-assistant.
"There's nobody I have more respect for in football than Nick Saban—period," Belichick told reporters during a conference call.
"The way his team's performed, I don't think anybody's done it better than he has," Saban said. "I think probably every coach in football is trying to do it as well as he does it and has done it. But they do a tremendous job there, Nick's a tremendous coach."
Belichick and Saban didn't have significant success together in Cleveland. The Browns combined to go 31–33 in four seasons, making the playoffs only once. Both Belichick and Saban have five championships in their respective careers.
