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"You're not defending those titles," Saban told the gymnasts. "This is a different team, it's a new year. No one can take what you've accomplished in the past away from you."

Saban, who also spoke with the gymnastics team prior to their trips to the 2011 and 2012 NCAA Championships, emphasized that the key to success was shutting out outside distractions and expectations and focus on what had made them successful in the first place.

"Our ladies always enjoy when Coach Saban comes and talks to them," head gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson said. "I think they get a tremendous amount out of what he has to say and the different perspective he brings to competing for a championship. They have a lot of respect for everything he's accomplished."

That appreciation is a two-way street.

"I have a great deal of respect for what you've done, how much you've accomplished and the way you've gone about it," Saban told the gymnasts. He went on to tell the team that in addition to all the hard work they'd already put in, they needed to be in the right frame of mind to be able to execute at the highest level when the time came.

I like the way these coaches work together and help each other. I listen to "Hey Coach" and Coach Patterson is always talking about the other coaches. Coach Saban talks to recruits for a lot of the different sports. They all have a lot of respect for each other.