Bill ‘Brother’ Oliver, football coach who worked for both Alabama and Auburn, dies

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Bill “Brother” Oliver, who made his name as a defensive back under Paul W. “Bear” Bryant before embarking on a coaching career that led him to coaching stints at both Alabama and Auburn, has died. He was 85.

Oliver, who was born and raised in Epes, Alabama, played at Alabama from 1959 to 1961, contributing to the Tide’s national championship his last year. After several years coaching high school football, Oliver joined the coaching staff at Auburn University in 1966, working with head coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan in handling secondary. In 1971, “Mama called” and Oliver joined Bryant coaching defensive backs at Alabama, being part of three national championship teams and staying until 1979, when he became head coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Oliver left Chattanooga in 1983, spending a couple of years in the first iteration of the United States Football League, specifically as defensive coordinator for the Memphis Showboats. Following a short tenure at Clemson, Oliver went back to Tuscaloosa under head coach Gene Stallings in 1990. He was part of the 1992 national championship team.

By 1993, Oliver was promoted to defensive coordinator of the Tide. According to sports writer Ivan Maisel in a report for CNN, Oliver had been promised by former athletic director Hootie Ingram that he would succeed Stallings as head coach, but with Ingram being fired in 1995, Oliver went to Auburn to be defensive coordinator.

Following head coach Terry Bowden’s departure, Oliver led the team as interim coach in 1998 before retiring.

In 2013, Oliver was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.