Editor's Note: This article was originally published in 2018 and will be continually updated as results dictate.
The great part about working for Nick Saban is that there's no surer path to a head coaching job. Sixteen of his former assistants later went on to be head coaches. That includes nine current FBS head coaches and nearly a third of current SEC head coaches.
The bad part about working for Nick Saban is that, if you do get a head coaching job and are fortunate enough to play against him, he's going to do his best to drive you out of it.
As Saban prepares to face Jimbo Fisher for the second time and the first on an annual basis as the head coach at Texas A&M (Jeremy Pruitt will get his time in the barrel next month), it's time to run through the complete history of Saban's performance against his former assistants.
Saban vs. Derek Dooley
2010: Alabama 41, Tennessee 10
2011: Alabama 37, Tennessee 6
2012: Alabama 44, Tennessee 13
Total: Saban 122, Dooley 29
Saban vs. Jim McElwain
2013: Alabama 31, Colorado State 6
2015: Alabama 29, Florida 15
2016: Alabama 54, Florida 16
Total: Saban 114, McElwain 37
Saban vs. Mark Dantonio
2011: Alabama 49, Michigan State 7
2015: Alabama 38, Michigan State 0
Total: Saban 87, Dantonio 7
Saban vs. Will Muschamp
2011: Alabama 38, Florida 10
2014: Alabama 42, Florida 21
2019: Alabama 47, South Carolina 23
Total: Saban 127, Muschamp 54
Saban vs. Jimbo Fisher
2017: Alabama 24, Florida State 7
2018: Alabama 45, Texas A&M 23
2019: Alabama 47, Texas A&M 28
2020: Alabama 52, Texas A&M 24
2021: Texas A&M 41, Alabama 38
Total: Saban 182, Fisher 116
Saban vs. Kirby Smart
2018: Alabama 26, Georgia 23
2018: Alabama 35, Georgia 28
2020: Alabama 41, Georgia 24
Total: Saban 102, Smart 75
Saban vs. Jeremy Pruitt
2018: Alabama 58, Tennessee 21
2019: Alabama 35, Tennessee 13
2020: Alabama 48, Tennessee 17
Total: Saban 141, Pruitt 51
Saban vs. Billy Napier
2018: Alabama 56, Louisiana-Lafayette 14
Total: Saban 56, Napier 14
Saban vs. Lane Kiffin
2020: Alabama 63, Ole Miss 48
2021: Alabama 42, Ole Miss 21
Total: Saban 105, Kiffin 69
Add it all up and you get an 24-1 Saban record, with a cumulative score of 1,060-459 in Saban's favor. That's an average score of 42-18.
As No. 1 Alabama prepares to host No. 22 Texas A&M on Saturday, the Tide enters as a 28.5-point favorite.
Thus far through his first season, Fisher has show evidence he's building Texas A&M into a power that can actually threaten Alabama's rule atop the SEC.
Something tells me Saban would welcome the challenge.