Alabama Football: Creating the perfect coaching staff for Saban

Building Alabama football’s perfect staff

Wide receivers coach: Billy Napier

Napier is currently a head coach for the Ragin’ Cajuns, but he thrived during his time in Tuscaloosa. He coached studs like Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley and Ardarius Stewart. He was also a quality recruiter during his time with Alabama football. That can be said about almost every Saban assistant, but Napier set himself apart.

Before joining Saban’s staff, Napier was Dabo Swinney’s offensive coordinator at Clemson. He also worked at Colorado State in between jobs with Saban. While you could argue to place Holmon Wiggins on this list due to his work with DeVonta Smith, I’m sticking with Napier.

Running backs coach: Burton Burns

Burns was one of Saban’s top assistants for the early stages of the Alabama dynasty. He coached two Heisman Trophy winners at running back alongside studs like Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy and Kenyan Drake. You have to give props to Huff for what he has done recently, but Burns is regarded as one of the best to ever coach running backs. In an era where running the ball was crucial, Burns played a pivotal role in Alabama football’s success.

Tight ends coach: Mario Cristobal

I realize that Cristobal was mostly known for his work with the offensive line. However, he is too valuable of a recruiter and a coach to keep off of this list. He was listed as a tight ends coach for a year with the Crimson Tide, so he has at least some experience here. You could also consider studs like Jeff Banks or Bobby Williams here.