We are about to witness a homecoming for five coaches on the Texas Longhorn staff.
Texas comes to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday to face the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
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Steve Sarkisian, Kyle Flood, Jeff Banks, and Bo Davis were on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama for national championships.
All four will be on the opposite sideline trying to upset Coach Saban and the Crimson Tide. The fifth name is an Alabama native who played linebacker for Saban and was a three-time BCS National Champion. Nico Johnson returns where he helped make the stadium shake, destroy opposing quarterbacks and running backs, and hoist national championship trophies. He is a defensive graduate assistant for the Longhorns, but Johnson remembers the dominance he had in the crimson and white in Tuscaloosa.
On Wednesday, Saban reflected on Johnson and talked about how he sees him as a great future coach.
“Nico is a great person, smart player, and was very productive here as a player,” Saban said.
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“He has great character, and I think he will be a great coach. He is bright, industrious, and a hard worker. There is no question about how he would be an outstanding coach.”
Johnson earned BCS National Championships in 2009, 2011, and 2012 — including back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012.
It will be interesting to see the welcome he receives this weekend.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
