All four coaches spent time at Alabama with Coach Nick Saban.

Curt Cignetti

2007 - 2011

wide receiver coach and recruiting coordinator

Mario Cristobal

2013 - 2016

associate head coach, tight ends coach, assistant head coach, offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator

Pete Golding

2018 - 2022

defensive assistant coach, co-defense coordinator, inside linebacker coach and defensive coordinator

Dan Lanning

2015

grad assistant

1 minute ago, sports fan said:

Golding

And, Goldigging Lane also had he stayed.

Thanks, sports fan.

Nick Saban and former Missouri coach Gary Pinkel are branches of the Don James coaching tree. The two played for James and were teammates at Kent State, along with Hall of Fame LB and Steel Curtain member Jack Lambert.

Lou Holtz played his college football at Kent State. His position coach was Don McCafferty, who went on to win a Super Bowl as head coach of the Baltimore (not a typo younger Forum friends) Colts.

Curt Cignetti's Dad, Frank Cignetti, Senior, is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Before moving on to coach DBs for Woody Hayes at Ohio State, Nick Saban was an assistant coach under Frank at West Virginia.

Curt Cignetti played quarterback at West Virginia for his Dad and Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen from 1979 to 1982.

FBS coaches are a small and tight, fraternity.

Saban seems connected to all things as it relates to quality coaches.

Though, I think some of those coaches would only count under a very loose definition of "coaching tree". I could be wrong, but my definition to qualify as being part of someone's coaching tree is that you have to be a coordinator/assistant HC that then goes on to be head coach.

For example, I'd peg Dan Lanning as part of Kirby Smart's coaching tree, etc.

I'm just splitting hairs, but your point is obvious, that all these coaches come from a great coaching lineage.