Even in retirement, Nick Saban is making an impact on the College Football Playoff. Entering the semifinal round, it became guaranteed that one of his ex-Alabama assistants would win the national title, as all four remaining teams were coached by a Saban disciple.

Miami’s Mario Cristobal coached Saban’s offensive line from 2013 through 2016. He then became head coach at Oregon before ultimately landing at his alma mater in Coral Gables.

There’s one player in Monday’s national championship game who would be most qualified to discuss the two coaches. James Brockermeyer has played for both.

Miami’s center, who started his college career at Alabama was asked about both coaches on Saturday during national championship media day.

“I would say they’re alike and different,” Brockermeyer said. “Obviously coach Cristobal has taken a lot of things from coach Saban that he learned over the years, whether that’s how practice is scheduled or day-to-day operations. But he’s put his own spin on it at the same time, it’s not like a carbon copy of the old Alabama. But both coaches are incredible. I’m really thankful and blessed to have been able to play for both of them.”

Brockermeyer, alongside his brother Tommy, joined the Crimson Tide before the 2021 season. He spent three years in Tuscaloosa, and was part of multiple College Football Playoff teams while with the Crimson Tide.

He entered the transfer portal during the spring window following Kalen DeBoer’s hire. Brockermeyer spent a year at TCU before joining Miami ahead of the 2025 campaign.

He’s not the only Miami player who has dealt with Saban in the past. Quarterback Carson Beck was committed to UA before he flipped to Georgia in the 2020 recruiting class, where he played for another ex-Saban assistant, Bulldog coach Kirby Smart.

Beck was asked about the differences and similarities between Saban and Cristobal.

“All of them are super intense,” Beck said. “They’re super intense, and you can tell that their love for the game is super, super, super high. Again, that’s what I would say is the same, but they all have a different way of coaching, from coach Smart to– obviously I never got coached by coach Saban, but being able to meet him and be around him, they all have different ways of doing it, but at the end of the day, they’re super intense and have a great love of the game, for the game of football.”

Miami faces Indiana at 6:30 p.m. CT Monday. The game will be aired on ESPN.