MIAMI (AP) -Nick Saban's morning routine starts before sunrise with coffee. Then he showers and shaves, drinks a second cup of coffee, grabs a couple of Little Debbie cookies and drives to work.

His assistant coaches can only hope the coffee's hot, the cookies are fresh and the traffic is light.

``If any of that gets messed up, I'm kind of a little bit out of kilter,'' Saban said. ``The staff meeting doesn't go as smoothly. Somebody gets chewed out.''

Saban is set in his ways, and that includes winning. In 12 years as a head coach, Saban has yet to endure a losing season.

He extended that streak last year, his first with the Miami Dolphins, when they won their final six games to finish 9-7. The momentum continued in the offseason, when Saban made two key staff additions, then acquired quarterbacks Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington to give Miami a potentially potent offense for the first time since Dan Marino's heyday.

In Saban's second season, the goals are to end a four-year playoff drought and New England's reign in the AFC East.

``He expects to win early and often,'' defensive end David Bowens said.

Such lofty expectations are remarkable for a franchise that a year ago was coming off a 4-12 season, its worst since the 1960s. Only 20 players from that team remain, including eight starters.

Saban has assembled one of the largest coaching staffs in the NFL, including two assistants who were head coaches last year. Former Houston Texans coach Dom Capers will oversee the defense, and former Buffalo Bills coach Mike Mularkey is the new offensive coordinator.

As Saban revamped his staff and roster, he also changed the attitude in the locker room.

``He didn't give anybody any choice,'' defensive tackle Vonnie Holliday said. ``He was like, `This is the way it's going to be. If you're with me, jump on board. If you're not, get out of here.'''

Saban's players unanimously praise his knowledge of the game, attention to detail and ability to inspire. They acknowledge fearing the wrath of their 5-foot-10 coach, who sometimes struggles to keep his temper in check.

That's why he wears a straw hat on the practice field.

``I don't like baseball caps, because they're too easy to throw,'' Saban said. ``I make bad decisions when I get angry. I have a lot of pride in my straw hat, so I don't want to rip it up and throw it. ``

A protege of New England coach Bill Belichick, Saban is trying to overtake his mentor, who has won three Super Bowl titles since 2001 and the past three AFC East titles.

The Dolphins finished one game behind the Patriots last year and split their two meetings, which suggests Miami is narrowing the gap.

``I don't know how big the gap was,'' Holliday said. ``Of course you have to respect them, because they've gotten it done. Last year playing those guys, I felt like if there was a gap, then certainly we've closed it.''

Still, with the Super Bowl in Miami this season, there's reason to doubt the Dolphins will play at home in February, and not only because their last appearance in the title game was nearly 22 years ago.

Much hinges on Culpepper's surgically repaired right knee. Even if healthy, he must show that his performance for Minnesota last year before his injury - 12 interceptions and six touchdown passes in seven games - was an aberration and not confirmation of his limitations without Randy Moss as a target.

The woeful offensive line and secondary that Saban inherited remain works in progress. Ricky Williams' one-year drug suspension means Ronnie Brown must become a workhorse runner for the first time, and durability could also be an issue for a defensive front seven manned mostly by thirtysomethings.

Saban knows better than to make much of last year's season-ending six-game winning streak.

``What does that have to do with how we are going to play in the first game?'' he said. ``Let's learn why we won six games, and let's build on that as a foundation for what it takes to be successful, and go do it from the beginning.''

The Dolphins open the season Sept. 7 against the Super Bowl champion Steelers in Pittsburgh, and here's a prediction: Saban will start the day with coffee and a couple of Little Debbies.

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