I have said it on here before. I think this is where Saban excels. I think it is where Coach Bryant excelled.
Reading players and knowing what makes them tick and how to push their buttons in order for them to do what they think is impossible.
I know Franchione did psychological profiling on all his players in order to try and figure those things out. I ask Saban at a coaches show if he did the profiling. He said he used to, but after coaching for so many years, he knows if a player needs a pat on the back or a foot in the ass. (his words) I think that is one of the things that all great coaches can do.