Robert Bala, like the rest of college football fans, was stunned to learn that longtime Alabama football coach Nick Saban was resigning.
Bala, Washington’s current linebackers coach, did not notice the announcement on social media. Instead, he learned straight from Saban, who informed players and coaches during a team meeting on Jan. 10 that he was retiring after 17 years with the Crimson Tide.
“The way he operates, you would’ve never thought he would give it up,” said Bala, who coached linebackers at Alabama in 2023. “I’m sure he’s got a burning desire in him to keep going at some point, but I think he’s enjoying his time now.”
Bala became the final assistant hired as part of Jedd Fisch’s first staff at Washington on Feb. 16 as part of the Huskies’ revamped defensive staff featuring a mix of former Arizona assistants and NFL experience.
Speaking at the Dempsey Indoor Center after Washington’s 13th spring practice, Bala said the opportunity to come to UW was simply too good to consider anything else once he was offered the job.
“This is a great place,” he said. “Staff’s great. Players are great — so hopefully we can build off last year.”
Saban’s retirement and Alabama’s subsequent hiring of former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer had massive knock-on effects for Bala.
Joining the Crimson Tide seemed like the pinnacle of a rapid rise for the Oceanside, Calif., native. Bala spent 15 seasons coaching at various levels of the sport including the NFL, NAIA, junior college and the Football Championship Subdivision. He made his first steps into the Football Bowl Subdivision scene as a defensive analyst at Liberty as part of Hugh Freeze’s staff.
Bala was promoted to linebackers coach at Liberty for the 2023 season, but departed shortly after to take the same position with Saban and Alabama. Junior linebackers Deontae Lawson and Jihaad Campbell finished second and third, respectively, in tackles during Bala’s lone season with the Crimson Tide.
Lawson recorded 67 tackles, three sacks, and four pass deflections in the 2023 season. Campbell recorded 66 tackles, an interception, three pass deflections, and two fumble recoveries as Alabama won the Southeastern Conference, advanced to the College Football Playoff, and nearly defeated No. 1 Michigan in the Rose Bowl, losing 27-20. Bala described his stay at Alabama as “the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“If you’re not learning every single day from the best coach of all time,” Bala remarked, “I don’t know what you’re doing. You may run out of ink depending on how many notes you take in a day.”
But Bala’s stay in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was brief. Saban retired, and DeBoer was quickly joined by defensive coordinator
Bala wasn’t retained by DeBoer, and initially seemed content to return to the Group of Five level. He was announced as the defensive coordinator at Western Michigan, a Mid-American Conference team, on Feb. 1. Bala’s connections, however, got him to Washington.
He didn’t have close contacts with Fisch or any members on Washington’s new staff, but he did have one big endorsement: Saban. The former Alabama coach is a longtime friend of former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, whose son Steve Belichick serves as the Huskies’ new defensive coordinator.
Bala said Bill Belichick reached out to Saban to ask about his former linebackers coach. Once Saban gave his recommendation, the path was clear for Bala to join Steve Belichick at Washington.
The final addition to Fisch’s coaching staff, Bala only had about six weeks to introduce himself to his players before spring practices began.
