Former Tide Standout, Coach 'Brother' Bill Oliver Dead At 85

TUSCALOOSA, AL — "Brother" Bill Oliver, a legend in college football circles and the University of Alabama community, died Monday morning after a long battle with health issues.

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The former Crimson Tide gridiron standout and coach was 85.

Born in the Epes community of Sumter County in 1939, Oliver began his football odyssey as a defensive back under legendary Tide head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant from 1959 to 1961, which included being a member of the 1961 national championship team.

He also played baseball for the Crimson Tide during his school days in Tuscaloosa.

He would go on to earn four more national championship rings, with three as an assistant coach under Bryant in 1973, 1978 and 1979 and one as a member of Gene Stallings' staff in 1992.

Oliver transitioned to coaching following the end of his playing career, starting with high school programs in Alabama before joining Auburn University as a defensive backs coach in 1966 under head coach Shug Jordan — a role in which he served until 1970.

Oliver returned to his alma mater in 1971 to coach defensive backs and was on the staff at Alabama until 1979 when he took his first head coaching job at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

As head coach of the Mocs, he led the team until 1983 with a record of 29-14-1.

Oliver went on to work as the defensive coordinator for the Memphis Showboats in the United States Football League during the 1984 and 1985 seasons before becoming the defensive backs coach at Clemson in 1986.

In 1989, he was promoted to defensive coordinator.

Oliver would again return to the University of Alabama in 1990 when he was hired as defensive backs coach and was eventually promoted to defensive coordinator in 1993.

During this time he played a crucial role in scheming up the defense that helped Alabama win the 1992 national championship — a defense that included names like Antonio Langham, John Copelan, George Teague, Eric Curry, Sam Shade and others.

It has been said that Oliver was promised he would be Gene Stallings' successor as head coach by former Athletic Director Hootie Ingram, who was eventually fired in 1995.

After the shakeup in Tuscaloosa, Oliver joined Terry Bowden's staff at Auburn University as the defensive coordinator, and would go on to serve as interim head coach for the final five games of the 1998 season after Bowden resigned.

Oliver then retired from coaching after Auburn hired Tommy Tuberville.

He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in May 2013.

Funeral arrangements for Oliver have not been announced at this time.

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