Saban reflects on help Harbaugh's father once gave him

PASADENA, California -- In a small, strange sort of way, if Nick Saban and Alabama beat Jim Harbaugh and Michigan in the Rose Bowl, Harbaugh will have his father partially to blame.

That's because when Saban was first starting out as a college coach, he once leaned on Jack Harbaugh, Jim's father, to help him out. Jack Harbaugh was Michigan's defensive secondary coach at the time, and Saban was just starting down a coaching path that ultimately would lead him to collegiate head-coaching positons at Toledo, Michigan State, LSU and finally Alabama, where Saban has resided for the last 17 years and racked up seven of his eight national championships, the other coming while at LSU in 2003.

So Jack Harbaugh played at least a small hand in helping Saban become the coaching legend now generally regarded as the best of all time at the collegiate level.

"I know Jim. I've known his family for years. I loved his dad," Saban said of the younger Harbaugh, who will roam the opposite sideline Monday when the No. 4 Crimson Tide takes on the Wolverines in a College Football Playoff semifinal. "When I was a young coach, his dad was a secondary coach at Michigan, and I was an up and coming (coach), trying to learn how to coach a secondary. And he was always helpful to me. I've always had a tremendous amount of respect for the family."

Like Saban, Jack Harbaugh has been a coaching lifer. He still helps out his son, carrying the official title of Assistant Head Coach at Michigan according to the team website.

The elder Harbaugh has been in and around coaching since 1962, starting out at the high-school level and eventually serving as head coach at both Western Michigan and Western Kentucky. During his tenure at WKU he posted a 91-68 record, including three 10-win seasons. In 2002, the Hilltoppers won the NCAA Division I-AA national football championship. He also served at various times as an assistant coach at Morehead State, Bowling Green, Iowa, Stanford, Pittsburgh, San Diego and of course Michigan.

"His dad was a great coach, (Jim's brother) John is a good coach (of the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL), Jim is a good coach," Saban said. "Tom Crean was on the staff with (men's basketball coach) Coach (Tom) Izzo at Michigan State and we had a relationship, and he's married to Jim's sister. I've had a tremendous amount of respect for the family for years."

As for the top-ranked Wolverines this year, Saban added: "They've got a really good team. They're well-coached. He's done a tremendous job with his team, so I have nothing but respect and admiration for what he's been able to accomplish."

Saban said he loves that his current Crimson Tide team is getting to play in the Rose Bowl, reminding everyone that his background in coaching included the one year at Toledo, five years as the head coach at Michigan State and assistant-coaching positions at Kent State and Ohio State, among others.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for our players. The Rose Bowl does a great job from a hospitality standpoint," he said. "They have the reputation of being the granddaddy of them all. Kind of growing up in the Big Ten I think for 12 years, that was always the goal, can you get to the Rose Bowl? ...

"I coached at Ohio State and Michigan State, so in those days I mean, (former OSU coach) Woody Hayes didn't even allow you to buy gas in Michigan if you were recruiting there when he was there. I don't think I have any lingering feelings, but I know and respect the traditions of those rivalry games. This is a big game for our team, and that's what I'm focused on: our team and what we can do to try to play well against a really good Michigan team.