Note: This story was originally published in the fall 2025 issue of Alabama Beta’s The Red Door newsletter as part of SigEp’s Alumni Communication Program.

Ever since high school, Bret Bolin, Alabama ’22, heard that SigEp was full of great guys who cared about academics. He clicked immediately with his Alabama Beta brothers, and they made incredible memories — from the Sigma Retreat in Tennessee his freshman year to playing in the SEC Cornhole Tournament in 2018.

His favorite times from SigEp, however, have one thing in common: football. Whether it was their road trip to the SEC Championship or watching countless NFL games on Sunday afternoons, the brothers have many great days to look back on. Bret’s time on the Alabama football team (which continues today on the coaching staff) has allowed him to share his passions with brothers, friends and family.

Bret tried out for the team during his chapter presidency and was lucky enough to be selected as a wide receiver. He quickly realized that the time would prevent him from doing both roles justice, and his brothers overwhelmingly supported his decision to step down and embrace this new path.

“Everyone said, ‘Go all in on football — we want to see you succeed there,” Bret recalled. “My roommate Jack Callahan [Alabama ’22] stepped up as president [and was reelected the next year], and he did a better job than I ever could have. He’s an incredible man, and I’m honored to be close friends and see the great work he does with the AVC.”

A team player

Bret didn’t play many Saturdays, but he was proud to work hard for a Crimson Tide team that claimed a national championship in his college years. Toward the end of his undergraduate career, he approached Coach Saban to discuss his own interest in coaching. “I went to ask for advice, and to my surprise, he offered me a job.”

In his current role of football analyst, Bret serves as an assistant wide receiver coach. This includes daily playbook installations with the players, helping run drills at practice, scouting prospective recruits — and being on the sideline for gameday, of course. “Just as in SigEp, it’s awesome to continue being part of something bigger than myself,” he said. “That’s why I find this job so fulfilling.”

The team philosophy, as Bret explains, is to focus on what they can control. Coach DeBoer believes in going 1-0 every day, every play, every practice. With hard work and a little luck, that compounds and everyone can look back on a good season.

Bret believes this advice applies to every facet of life. “It’s easy to get caught up comparing yourself to others. But if you step back and say, ‘These are the things I can do to be successful,’ you can narrow your focus and build your life into something that makes you proud. We always talk about being intentional with your goals and relationships — that’s how you learn to control your own destiny.”

Keeping up

Bret always enjoys catching up when brothers visit for a game, and his graduating class holds an annual golf trip that has taken them all over the nation. He loves to work out and stay active in his free time, taking pride in a SigEp “Sound Mind, Sound Body” lifestyle.

“Being in good shape is an extension of your mental health, and working out usually helps me navigate adversity.” That belief also drew Bret to SigEp and to football, which he’s thankful to share with everyone in his life.