Nobody in college football has more experience with the four-team playoff than Alabama coach Nick Saban, who has guided the Crimson Tide into the elite field each of the first four seasons under the format.
Saban also has the most experience when it comes to coordinators at playoff time having to juggle head-coaching roles at other programs. For a third consecutive December, the Crimson Tide will prepare for their semifinal opponent with a lame-duck coordinator, with defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt the latest after being introduced Thursday evening as the head coach at Tennessee.
Kirby Smart worked two jobs after the 2015 regular season, serving as Alabama's defensive coordinator during its run to the national championship while also compiling a staff and recruiting for Georgia. Entering last season's playoff, Lane Kiffin was Alabama's offensive coordinator and Florida Atlantic's head coach.
"Jeremy is going to finish the season with us, and he's going to go do some things to get his program started at Tennessee," Saban said Thursday during a news conference for the College Football Playoff. "When we're ready to practice, he'll be back with us. I really appreciate the fact that Kirby did a great job of doing that a couple years ago when he had an opportunity.
"I think it shows a lot of respect for the players on our team who worked hard to help us all have success this season."
It didn't work as well last year with Kiffin, who was relieved of his duties with the Crimson Tide after their 24-7 win over Washington in the Peach Bowl national semifinal on New Year's Eve. Saban tabbed Steve Sarkisian to call the plays in January's national championship game loss to Clemson.
Smart said having two roles can be incredibly difficult, adding that it causes you to wonder whether you are doing right for either school.
"It was very concerning to me, because I wanted to do what was best for both," Smart said. "With the early signing period, it creates an even new dynamic because you're trying to sign a signing class while you're practicing, so the things that Jeremy is going to have to go through is probably going to be even more challenging in regards to that.
"Looking back, I'm glad I did what I did, because it was the right thing to do. Certainly it helped that we won the game, but it was a very challenging 30-day period, for sure."
Saban must replace one of his coordinators for the fourth time in five years, with offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier having left after the 2013 season for the same role at Michigan. Only after the 2014 season, when Kiffin finished his first year running the offense and Smart his seventh in charge of the defense, did Saban not have to go shopping.
Should Saban look to replace Pruitt with someone else with Crimson Tide ties, he wouldn't be lacking for options. Alabama outside linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi and secondary coach Derrick Ansley could be considered for the role, as could Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, who worked under Saban in Tuscaloosa during the 2007, '08, '13 and '14 seasons.
Steele has led the Tigers to a pair of top-10 rankings in scoring defense, and his defenders held Alabama to 14 points in Auburn's recent Iron Bowl triumph.
Wherever Saban turns, he will do so with plenty of expertise in such matters.
"I think immediately there is some effect and impact when you have change," he said, "but it also creates an opportunity to bring in new enthusiasm, new ideas and new people. You just have to keep constantly trying to make sure that the people that you're hiring are quality people who are going to add something in a positive way to the organization.
"It's just like players. You don't really replace players. You just find somebody else who is really capable of doing a good job at that particular position, even though they're not like the last guy."
Fitzpatrick wins
Junior defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick won the Chuck Bednarik Award, given annually to college football's top defensive player, Thursday night in Atlanta. Fitzpatrick beat out Georgia's Roquan Smith and N.C. State's Bradley Chubb for the honor.
It was the second honor of the evening for Fitzpatrick, who captured the Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.