Remembering 'Brother' Bill Oliver: A Crimson Tide Legend

The Crimson Tide community is mourning the loss of one of its legendary figures.

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Bill Oliver, affectionately known as "Brother," passed away at the age of 85, according to longtime Alabama journalist Kirk McNair.

Oliver coached for 33 years, with impactful stints at Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, and the Memphis Showboats of the USFL. He also served as head coach at Chattanooga from 1980 to 1983 and stepped in as Auburn’s interim coach in 1998 after Terry Bowden’s midseason resignation.

A native of Epes in Sumter County, Oliver joined Alabama as a quarterback in Bear Bryant's first recruiting class in 1958. He transitioned to defensive halfback and was a senior on the dominant 1961 national championship team, which allowed just 25 points all season.

After early years in high school coaching, Oliver landed his first college job under Auburn’s Ralph "Shug" Jordan in 1966. He returned to Alabama in 1971 and helped lead the Crimson Tide to eight SEC titles and three national championships under Bryant before leaving in 1979.

As head coach at Chattanooga, Oliver compiled a strong 29-14-1 record. He then coached in the USFL and later at Clemson, where he finished his tenure as defensive coordinator.

When Gene Stallings became Alabama’s head coach in 1990, Oliver returned to Tuscaloosa to take over the defense. His 1992 unit was legendary, leading the nation in all four major defensive categories. That season was capped by a dominant performance in the Sugar Bowl, where Alabama held top-ranked Miami without an offensive touchdown in a 34-13 victory to claim the national title—Oliver’s fifth as a player or assistant.

Though he remained on staff until 1995, tensions with Stallings led Oliver to make a surprising move in 1996: becoming Auburn’s defensive coordinator. He eventually took over as interim head coach in 1998, which included a 31-17 Iron Bowl loss to Alabama at Legion Field.

In 2013, Oliver was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy as one of the great football minds in the state’s history.

Alabama Football will open its season on August 30 against Florida State, but the program does so with heavy hearts, remembering the man known simply as "Brother."

Chase Brumfield is the morning producer and writer for Tide 100.9. He is currently a senior studying communications at Mississippi State University. Follow Chase for more Alabama content on X at @cb3864.