Nick Saban at Alabama won it all, but playing under him was ever challenging. That perfection, the no-error mindset, and the discipline didn’t allow room for second chances. And when someone played as his signal caller, the man was a de facto head coach for the team. Saban frequently rotated QBs, did mid-season evaluations, and communication wasn’t always crystal clear. That trial by fire, led by Saban, has resulted in a former player-turned-UFL head coach, detailing it when questions mounted about his inexperience.

Birmingham Stallions’ new head coach, A.J. McCarron, hit back at people criticizing his coaching inexperience. “When you play the quarterback position, and you play the quarterback position for Nick Saban, you’re a head coach, okay?” McCarron said. McCarron played for Alabama from 2009 to 2013 and then went on to play pro football till the 2024 season.

Finishing his 2024 stint with the St. Louis Battlehawks, McCarron straightaway became the Stallions’ head coach. Despite having no prior coaching experience before his UFL head coaching gig, McCarron has regularly drawn on Nick Saban’s philosophy in leading the franchise. The former Bama QB detailed how cutting out external factors and distractions was the primary reason why Alabama won big under Saban.

“That’s what made us special at Alabama, was that everybody was focused and prepared for one goal,” McCarron said. “And it’s not the result part of it, and saying, ‘Oh, well, we want to go 10 and O.’ It’s the process that leads up to that result. It’s the work each and every day that you have to put in to be successful…so I think that’s the biggest thing for us.”

McCarron had an exceptional career at Alabama after taking over QB1 duties from Greg McElroy in 2010. He started a few games in the season and became the permanent starter in 2011. Over the course of the three seasons, the Bama QB1 led his team to a 36-4 record and two national wins in 2011 and 2012. Nick Saban played a crucial role in elevating McCarron to a legendary Bama QB.

Saban’s guidance for McCarron knew no bounds, and that shaped him for good. In a famous incident, McCarron stormed into Saban’s office in his redshirt year and demanded an opportunity as QB1. Saban put McCarron’s leadership to the test, a test he failed “miserably.” It was a tough love lesson that shaped the Mobile, Alabama native. With some persistence under Saban’s tough ‘process,’ McCarron’s football career was elevated for good.

AJ McCarron aims to follow Nick Saban’s ‘winning’ philosophy to guide his players

During his Alabama stint, the 6’3″ and 220 lbs QB accumulated 9,019 passing yards and 77 touchdowns at 66.9% efficiency. His college football heroics further elevated McCarron in the NFL, and he was taken as the 164th overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. After spending 11 years in pro football, he has now come in as the Stallions head coach with Nick Saban’s blueprint.

“Coach Saban used to say it all the time: If we can achieve the ultimate goal as a team and put our egos at the door, put them to the side and focus on the team mindset, if we’re winning, everybody’s going to get a shot,” McCarron said. “Because organizations and other leaders in the NFL and on other teams want winners. They want guys who understand how to do it the right way.”

The Stallions have won two USFL and one UFL championship so far and look to continue the similar heroics under McCarron’s helm. The Stallions finished with a 7-win season in 2025 after an 11-win season in 2024. Head coach Skip Holtz stepped down, and on December 18, 2025, AJ was named the new head coach. Coming in with Nick Saban’s priniciples the team is now in good hands, and the Stallions can expect to get back to winning silverware.