The Saban Effect: Caleb Haynes, final UB staff hire, enjoys connection to retired coach (2024)

Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series looking at how Nick Saban’s retirement from coaching college football has impacted programs across the country, including the University at Buffalo.

Caleb Haynes was unemployed when Nick Saban rocked college football by announcing his retirement from coaching on Jan. 10.

A month before, Haynes had not been retained as receivers coach by new Stony Brook coach Billy Cosh, a literal reality check.

“The uncertainty was a little bit stressful at times,” Haynes said. “It challenges you to reflect, overcome adversity and go through the (search) process. Hopefully I don’t have to go through it too many times.”

Saban’s retirement kick-started a chain of events that linked him to Haynes.

Jan. 16: New Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer hired UB coach Maurice Linguist as co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach.

Jan. 21: UB hired Pete Lembo, South Carolina’s special teams coordinator/assistant head coach, to replace Linguist.

Feb. 9: Lembo hired Haynes to complete his UB staff; previous receivers coach Kevin Sherman was hired as head coach at Ferrum on Jan. 9.

Haynes could only laugh when asked about how Saban’s retirement created an opportunity for him.

“It’s an honor to be connected with such a great name in college football and this profession,” Haynes said of Saban. “You see the trickle effect and I’m so blessed and fortunate that the ‘GOAT’ of college football retired.”

Haynes played football at Central Methodist, a NAIA school in Fayette, Missouri, and started his coaching career there, serving at times as director of operations, junior varsity coach, co-offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator.

Haynes first worked with Lembo at Rice in 2018 – Haynes was a graduate assistant and Lembo the special teams coordinator. Haynes coached safeties, quarterbacks and receivers over five years at Stony Brook, a Football Championship Subdivision program.

After Rice, Haynes coached safeties, quarterbacks and receivers during his five years at Stony Brook but was back on the job market after Cosh brought Anthony Davis with him from Western Michigan. Cosh was one of 31 new head coaches in FBS, each of which triggered movement among assistant coaches.

“(Cosh) came in and already had the guy he wanted, and I understand how that works in college football,” Haynes said. “I was looking for a job and had some opportunities and the (UB) opportunity came later in the process and I jumped on it.”

Lembo was obviously familiar with Haynes, but Haynes and new UB offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude had never met. Lembo reached out to Haynes, but said he wanted Patenaude to be “highly involved,” in the search.

“Caleb was definitely on the radar from the start, but we wanted to make sure we were very thorough in the process,” Lembo said. “Every time we talked about another candidate, Caleb kept rising to the top and what differentiated him from some other guys was the diversity of his coaching background and the fact he’s coached quarterbacks and coached special teams – I like to hire coaches that have versatility and have room to grow professionally.”

Haynes said he and Patenaude knew some “mutual people,” including former Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore. Haynes and Patenaude talked multiple times on the phone about their backgrounds before moving to a formal interview about offensive football and receiver play.

If UB didn’t work out, Haynes said he had an offer to coach safeties at the University of Pennsylvania. He accepted the UB job, was in Buffalo seven days later and lived in a hotel for a month before finding an apartment 15 minutes from campus.

“I felt it was a great fit connecting with Coach Lembo, I knew this was a place you could win at and it was great knowing what (Patenaude) has done with an up-tempo, spread offense that is very friendly for a receiver and a receiver coach,” Haynes said.

The Saban Effect could be a game-changer for Haynes.

“For my career, this is an awesome opportunity,” he said. “I’m at the FBS level as a position coach, which has always been a goal for my next step.”