Alabama head coach Nick Saban may be a Mercedes man, but he is impressed with Cadillac. During Saban's Monday press conference, Auburn's interim coach, Cadillac Williams, was mentioned multiple times. Many who have watched Auburn play since Williams took over for Bryan Harsin, including Nick Saban, have noticed the life he has brought back to the program. Saban noted the Iron Bowl would be a challenging game for his team and praised the Auburn football team, especially interim coach Williams.
"I think Cadillac Williams has done a really, really good job. They've played really well these last three games. They run the ball effectively. They've got a lot of diversity on offense. Their quarterback's a very athletic player who can run and throw. Tank is one of the better backs in the SEC. Their defense is very, very aggressive. [Owen] Pappoe is a really good inside backer. [Derick] Hall is a really good rusher, creates a lot of negative plays. They're very good on special teams. This is a very challenging game for us, and our players are going to have to do a great job of getting prepared to play as well as we've played all season."
Saban was asked when watching film if there was a noticeable difference in Auburn's play between now and the beginning of the season. Saban's response, whether he meant to take a shot at former Auburn coach Bryan Harsin or not, was simply just stating facts.
"I just think they're playing really well now. I'm not making an evaluation. I thought they played hard all year long. I think their players really compete well, and they've done that all year long. They've just played really well in the last three games."
Later in the press conference, Saban was once again asked about Cadillac Williams, this time about the juice and energy Williams has given the Auburn program the last few weeks. Once again, Saban had nothing but praise and good things to say about the Auburn interim coach.
"He's done a great job. The energy, the enthusiasm, the way the guys are competing and playing, the way they play to win. And that was his personality as a player. I remember when I was the coach at the Miami Dolphins, Ronnie Brown and Cadillac were both coming out the same time in the same draft, and we thought they were both great competitors. He certainly was a great competitor. And I think his personality shows in the way his team competes."
If Williams is able to pull off the massive upset Saturday over Alabama and get Auburn to a bowl game, it probably isn't enough to earn him the full-time gig as Auburn's head coach, but if he needs a reference for his resume, Nick Saban might be willing.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email steve.irvine@1819news.com.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
