Saban a serious candidate for LSU?

[CaliforniaTide]

It was reported earlier today that Saban did talk with LSU AD Verge Ausberry. However it was a discussion about who Saban would recommend as the next coach….not about returning. It was reported that CNS recommended Kiffin, Drink, or Jeff Brohm.

Not Houston Nutt?

 

[DzynKingRTR]

"When I left LSU that was probably professionally the 'biggest mistake' I ever made, not because we didn't have success in Miami, because I enjoyed coaching in Miami..." but he also goes on to say he liked coaching in college better because "you could develop players."

But he also continued by saying it wasn't a case "Alabama vs LSU" and cites his agent.

I take it to mean it was a mistake as far as LEAVING COLLEGE FOOTBALL for another place, not that he's touting LSU as a better place to coach (necessarily). In other words, yes, he said the word "mistake", but I'm not so sure we can take it to mean, "You know, if I had to do it over again, I never would have left LSU."

Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't.

But it doesn't matter now.

It's no longer 2003 in Baton Rouge or anywhere else.

I don't want to live in an alternate universe where Saban stayed at lsu and dabaxter got his wish and Paul Johnson was ever a coach at Alabama.

 

[bravo6]

It was reported earlier today that Saban did talk with LSU AD Verge Ausberry. However it was a discussion about who Saban would recommend as the next coach….not about returning. It was reported that CNS recommended Kiffin, Drink, or Jeff Brohm.

Brohm? Interesting.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

It was reported earlier today that Saban did talk with LSU AD Verge Ausberry. However it was a discussion about who Saban would recommend as the next coach….not about returning. It was reported that CNS recommended Kiffin, Drink, or Jeff Brohm.

yeah, apparently Ausberry and Saban are friends and speak pretty regularly.

 

[bravo6]

Trivia question: Who said “I won’t be the Head Coach at Alabama.”

MIke Shula, circa December 1, 2006?

 

[BamaMoon]

I don't want to live in an alternate universe where Saban stayed at lsu and dabaxter got his wish and Paul Johnson was ever a coach at Alabama.

"Back to the Future" (part IV)

 

[stlimprov]

Trivia question: Who said “I won’t be the Head Coach at Alabama.”

Jack Del Rio...whether anyone asks or not.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

"Back to the Future" (part IV)

That would be as awful as Alt 1985 when Biff ran the Casino!!

Very Dark times with LSU winning 7 NCs

*shudders*

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Not Houston Nutt?

I'll tell you what's so funny about that: that attempted coaching hire is regarded as the avalanche loosening on Nebraska. There were other ice boulders coming down but that's the moment everyone remembers.

But here's the thing...how did Nebraska get so desperate as to even THINK Houston Nutt was a decent replacement for Frank Solich, whom they would have done better keeping? You know, aTm hiring Franchione when they did MADE SENSE even if it didn't work out. Nutt to Nebraska? Come on!

Nebraska never looked closely at his record. At the time they were after him, Nutt was 48-31 overall. But in the SEC, he was 26-22 and don't forget, he STARTED his career at Arky like Ty Willingham, tearing out of the gate at 8-0. Then go look even closer at that first year schedule. He thumped his 3 OOC foes, destroyed an overmatched (and food poisoned) Alabama, Auburn was in turmoil with the Bowden firing, and he did not beat a single foe with a winning record IN THE SEC.

And his SECCG appearance was solely due to the best team in his division being on probation. I NEVER understood "we're firing Frank Solich for this guy", and Nutt leveraged that "powerhouse Nebraska wants me" into denying every single year he was interested in a job he had no chance of getting.

But if Nebraska would have just been willing to tolerate Bo Pelini's goofiness a bit, they wouldn't be in near as bad shape as they have been the last 15 years or so.

 

[jashleyren2]

Me either but if he does what do we do with the field name?

I think you have to take it down. I wonder about the statue. Those didn't exist when Wallace Wade ended his career at Duke. It's in the best interest of him and of Alabama for Saban never to return to college coaching.

 

[jashleyren2]

I've seen the same thing.

I'm 100% confident that this is the final decision. The game changed, and he's aged. It's time to know, and he's super intuitive. He's not coaching at LSU. They need to get off the hopium.

Man, LSU really does have some complex about how great their program is, don't they? The title wins in 2007 and in 2019 went to their heads badly. They were largely always competitive, with long stretches where they were not, like the one their in now.

 

[jashleyren2]

I'll tell you what's so funny about that: that attempted coaching hire is regarded as the avalanche loosening on Nebraska. There were other ice boulders coming down but that's the moment everyone remembers.

But here's the thing...how did Nebraska get so desperate as to even THINK Houston Nutt was a decent replacement for Frank Solich, whom they would have done better keeping? You know, aTm hiring Franchione when they did MADE SENSE even if it didn't work out. Nutt to Nebraska? Come on!

Nebraska never looked closely at his record. At the time they were after him, Nutt was 48-31 overall. But in the SEC, he was 26-22 and don't forget, he STARTED his career at Arky like Ty Willingham, tearing out of the gate at 8-0. Then go look even closer at that first year schedule. He thumped his 3 OOC foes, destroyed an overmatched (and food poisoned) Alabama, Auburn was in turmoil with the Bowden firing, and he did not beat a single foe with a winning record IN THE SEC.

And his SECCG appearance was solely due to the best team in his division being on probation. I NEVER understood "we're firing Frank Solich for this guy", and Nutt leveraged that "powerhouse Nebraska wants me" into denying every single year he was interested in a job he had no chance of getting.

But if Nebraska would have just been willing to tolerate Bo Pelini's goofiness a bit, they wouldn't be in near as bad shape as they have been the last 15 years or so.

Nebraska is example #1A of a program that needs to know where it stands. They seem unaware of how they are looked at by the rest of the sport. Penn State is trending that way. Notre Dame paid a long visit to irrelevancy, found it unfriendly, leaned on their deep pockets lined with rosaries, and got themselves back to a competitive level. Right now, the beast in the sport is Ohio State, with their even deeper pockets and likely some nefarious activity going on that we won't learn of until a decade later. It's too quiet off-field up there in Columbus.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Nebraska is example #1A of a program that needs to know where it stands. They seem unaware of how they are looked at by the rest of the sport. Penn State is trending that way. Notre Dame paid a long visit to irrelevancy, found it unfriendly, leaned on their deep pockets lined with rosaries, and got themselves back to a competitive level. Right now, the beast in the sport is Ohio State, with their even deeper pockets and likely some nefarious activity going on that we won't learn of until a decade later. It's too quiet off-field up there in Columbus.

Nebraska never understood how their place as a seemingly dominant team was largely due to a unique set of circumstances that no longer exist. And don't get me wrong - Nebraska SHOULD aim to be the best in the sport, but they have to understand the route they took to get there doesn't exist anymore and it never will again.

Look at their national championships:

1970 - #1 Texas loses to N Dame, #2 Ohio State loses to Stanford
1971 - okay, this is full-on legit, no questions asked
1994 - didn't have to play the #2 team due to the Rose Bowl contract
1995 - again, a legit national championship
1997 - didn't have to play the "other" #1 team due to the Rose Bowl and wound up with a split title

I understand LUCK does play A ROLE in the final outcome, but Nebraska hasn't won jack squat since (wait for it) the teams had to actually win it on the field. Yes, LUCK played a role in a few Alabama national titles as well, most notably in 1964, 1965, and 1973 (where we don't win it if the polls are post-bowl). But we've got so many legit, no questions asked titles that it's not the same thing. And we have some legit grievances (to a point) in 1966 and 1977 that unless I don't know do not apply at all to Nebraska (e.g. votes they coulda/woulda/shoulda won but were up against a bigger name).

 

[Isaiah 63:1]

Color me skeptical that CNS will ever coach again, but if he should, even at LSU, I would never begrudge him anything after what he did for Alabama.

 

[CrimsonCleanse]

The corn dogs are more delusional than the barners if they really believe that not only would Saban come out of retirement, but he would also return to LSU AND it would be the same as it was at Bama. Even if he did come out of retirement and go back to LSU, they would NOT be getting the same guy back. Even if the game hadn't changed so much, I just don't think he would have another serious rebuild left in him

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Yes, LUCK played a role in a few Alabama national titles as well, most notably in 1964, 1965, and 1973 (where we don't win it if the polls are post-bowl).

I wonder if Alabama possibly wins those games knowing they mattered. I wasn't alive then so no idea how things were done. However, it was my understanding that some coaches treated bowl games as an exhibition game and not a game where the stakes were high. Did Coach Bryant experiment in those games? Did he play them like every game?

 

[crimsonaudio]

Color me skeptical that CNS will ever coach again, but if he should, even at LSU, I would never begrudge him anything after what he did for Alabama.

Agreed.

Beyond that, after what the last few teams at Bama looked like under CNS, I'd not fear him on the opposing sidelines like I would have 10 years ago.

 

[bamamc1]

Coach came to Bama to build a legacy. He has the titles, field named in his honor, quite frankly, the GOAT. Why would he want to risk that in this day of NIL? IMO, he’ll be the last dominant coach. Too hard to have a dynasty in the middle of this circus.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Coach came to Bama to build a legacy. He has the titles, field named in his honor, quite frankly, the GOAT. Why would he want to risk that in this day of NIL? IMO, he’ll be the last dominant coach. Too hard to have a dynasty in the middle of this circus.

He could possibly tarnish his legacy by going 8-4 for 3 straight years and just end up "stepping down".

 

[Snuffy Smith]

He could possibly tarnish his legacy by going 8-4 for 3 straight years and just end up "stepping down".

Take a lesson from Belichick, who should have retired when Brady retired and stayed that way. He has gone from GOAT to JOKE. (or at least GOAT of the modern era of pro football)