Nick Saban says the 4 years he worked with Belichick was his toughest job

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban spoke at the American Football Coaches Association in Indianapolis Monday, where he commented that the four years he worked with Bill Belichick were the “most difficult” in his career.

Nick Saban worked as Bill Belichick’s defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns.

Saban coached against Belichick with the AFC East rivals Miami Dolphins, and Saban’s last NFL win was against the Patriots and Belichick, a 21 – 0 Miami win.

The two are still good friends.

Belichick spoke about Saban back in December

“Two Croatians in the same division,” Belichick said. “Yeah, it’s crazy. Yeah, I mean Nick, I’ve had as close a relationship with Nick professionally and personally through the years, even before when he was at Ohio State, when he was at Navy, when he was at Michigan State and then obviously the four years in Cleveland and Michigan State again and LSU and then at Miami — that was hard, for both of us because we had a great personal relationship but we’re trying to win, trying to beat each other.”

“I love that he’s at Alabama and he’s not in our division,” Belichick said. “He’s not shutting us out like he did the last time we played him down there in Miami. But it’s so much better that way on a personal level.”