Leaving LSU Nick Saban's 'Biggest Mistake' | LSU at Clemson Point Spread Released!

[@Middleagegrind]

Hey Matt. I'm same age as you, LSU alum. 2004 graduate. I am grateful for Nick Saban. Definitely always wonder how much more success we could have had if he stayed. Maybe 10 titles

[@Patrick-ru4ur]

That's the number I always come up with. It would have been a significant number. Between 8 and 10.

[@JKMcClaren1979]

I was a senior at LSU in ‘03 as well. I didn’t grow up an LSU fan, but my experience there cemented my love for our program. I’ve had a picture of Saban holding the BCS trophy on my wall since that first championship, even though I spent 2012 on cursing his name. Kinda funny to think about in retrospect.

[@treacoffill]

Just commenting for the support. I literally don't miss a video of Locked On or AFR. Keep up the good work.

[@d3j051]

Matt, I'm 68 YOA and been going to LSU football games since I was a young kid. Saban built LSU to a level never ever seen and to the point we never thought we could ever be. We don't know if LSU would have ever been the power they've been since he left had he not been LSU coach. Yes, he tormented us all those years at Alabama. So I've thought many times, how many titles would LSU have had Saban never left? I'm thinking at least as many as he won at Alabama. Beyond the obvious winning, Saban built character and leadership beyond any other coach in the country. By the way, I still think Brian Kelley a top level coach and likely to win a NC at LSU, but like every other coach, he's not Saban.

[@dawnwilliams2872]

I actually cried when he left. It took me several years to get over but now I appreciate what Nick did for LSU and I understand why he needed to try the NFL.

[@djs3715]

Excellent show Matt. Thanks for bringing us down memory lane.

[@ivansalazar5448]

He went to the Dolphins, got a good taste of the NFL, and decided that powder cake was not for him. I am grateful he considered LSU a prime time coaching position! The minute we got word Saban was going back to the college ranks, we should have made him an offer, he couldn't refuse!

[@earlemorgan5068]

As a LSU fan, I am only grateful for Saban.

[@legibby]

We’ve been waiting 20 years to hear this lmao

[@guybrooks9006]

I was heartbroken when he left for Miami.

[@ivansalazar5448]

Me three! 😢

[@Tigerblade11238]

One of Saban's biggest contributions was calling out the administration for not investing in the program. He said they needed to improve the facilities and they did. I wish he had stayed, but at least he left a lasting impact.

[@CpapPapi]

My heart dropped when I watching it and he said that 😂

[@Bennromansince1955]

as lifetime "diehard" fan, I loved his time at LSU and believe we only benefited from it!! I'll turn 70 in a few days and I look at Saban's time as the Turning Point for LSU football; we've been a perennial part of any Top 25 discussion in D1 football since that time!! 100% agree - he won the title and he should be honored for it, just like the other guys!

[@seantreme8772]

I’m 56 now and as much as I hated what Nick ultimately did I understood it and accepted it. I won’t lie I was salty for quite a few years but totally respect the man for what he brought LSU. Those who don’t know what LSU was like before Dinardo and then Saban don’t remember LSU being a basketball school and football being and after thought.

[@jeffreyroedel9804]

He knows he would have won 1-2 more titles at LSU than he did at Bama because he would have had Louisiana talent on lockdown, he wouldn't have wasted 2 years in the NFL and another 2-3 years rebuilding Bama. Also wouldn't have had the "he can't coach in the NFL" critique on his resume. Terry loved Baton Rouge, still does. He had it all at LSU but chased his NFL dream and the $ instead. Obviously his career worked out incredibly well anyway. But it would have been slightly better, and less drama, if he had stayed in Baton Rouge.

[@ivansalazar5448]

We just dropped the ball big time!

[@daharris41]

I remember Saban telling reporters you have the best talent in the country and you don’t recruit them. That’s why LSU started winning. They started recruiting the best players in the state instead of letting them go elsewhere

[@portafoliocorporatesolutio2292]

As a LSU fan, it was good to have Saban as a coach.

[@bayourat15]

TIME TO CLAIM 1908 CHAMPIONSHIP! GEt The ball rolling Matt

[@deebristow4318]

When Coach Saban was considering leaving LSU someone suggested every one should email him to encourage him to stay at LSU , I found that email recently and was amused that I had written and said “he could be a Bear Bryant if he stayed at LSU”.

[@jacksonryder3378]

That’s a bright hoodie today, Matt. I prefer your earth tones more. Geaux Tigers!

[@seantreme8772]

On a different note why can’t LSU schedule a Rutgers or Syracuse for an opener? Hell I’d even be ok to open with bigger cupcake, tired of season opening loses!

[@dmath8377]

Wow, that stat of first round draft picks is incredible.

[@mattvongruben]

Anyone who doesnt absolutely venerate Saban as an LSU legend and appreciate what he did for LSU is a FOOL! Saban put LSU on the map and set them up for all the success that followed. Sure, we loved to "hate" him when he regularly beat our asses at Bama, but never should anyone forget what he contributed to LSU.

[@CDcooper3876]

The way I understood it ,Nick Saban became unsure of the situation as far as allocation of resources and improvements of facilities at LSU after Mark Emmerit left the school for Washington and once the Dolphins job came up he was gone once the price was right .

[@davebrown7208]

Yes, I wish he would have stayed!!

[@MyVisualRomance]

What the public doesn’t know about the real reason why he had to leave won’t hurt them.

[@delo56]

Most could understand him wanting to elevate his career at the NFL. How he left and how he returned were the problem. His negotiating with Miami during bowl prep was unfair to the players. Once he decided to go he disappeared overnight without a trace. A simple letter to the LSU faithful saying thanks for the opportunity, we enjoyed our time in BR, Geaux Tigers was all that was needed. He burned a bridge not doing that. Returning to Bama was salt in the wound.

[@charlesivey100]

Albeit a mistake, according to Saban, you never know until you try. He had a hankering for coaching in the NFL, and the media pumped up his ego to do it. While he was at LSU, I got to watch practices. Miles stopped my attendances. I suppose he thought I'd tell Alabama his offensive plans. And those plans were "offensive".

[@reneelee8870]

I can appreciate Nick for what he started however, I can still despise him going to a SEC West rival. Since he's retired, I can despise him less 😂😂😂 I have always said Les won with Saban's recruits. Les never won it on his own & don't even get me started on the 2011 championship game. BP goes too high for me 🤣

[@Patrick-ru4ur]

LSU football is the house that Saban built.

[@RollTideRoll_GSP]

You know, even at that time it felt like Saban didn’t belong in the NFL! He was meant to be a great college coach, glad he didn’t waste too much time with the Dolphins. It’s a good thing Brees failed his physical or else he might’ve been in the NFL for longer. Saban can now be the GOAT of college football next to Bear Bryant and got to do it at the same university.

[@bayousmackerdixford3389]

ce sont des faits contre N combien de titres sec ou nationaux nous aurions juste une pensée GEAUX TIGAHS

[@briangwin1251]

Yes, he was at LSU at the time, but I think Saban is referring to leaving CFB in general as the mistake. He talks about how the pro game left him unfulfilled. This is nothing new, I've heard him say it several times. The only part new is the Sexton story. Fully agree with what Saban did for LSU and all Tiger fans should indeed honor him. It's the same reason why Bama will win more championships. Whether that's Deboer or the next guy, it's inevitable.

[@SlowMotion911]

I agree. I didn't hear him say his biggest mistake was leaving LSU, but he did say no disrespect to Alabama, though, so he could have been referring to that.

[@briangwin1251]

@@SlowMotion911 Yeah. But if he didn't want to be at Bama, he could have gone anywhere at any point during his tenure. His wife loves Alabama which could have played a part in staying, I don't know.

[@ThomasWayne4312]

He been saying this nothing new

[@YouSin86]

Nick Saban to the Saints?

[@NathanDean79]

Yes Saban left Miles in a good spot BUT it was 3 whole years AFTER Saban left that LSU won another national championship. The true freshmen that were there when Nick left were the only ones, and only a handful of those, on the 06 national championship team.its not like Miles took over and immediately won a natty. It was 2 or 3 years later. Most of the players that played for Nick Saban and ALL of the great ones had already gone to the NFL. Yes there were some players left over from the Saban era on that 06 championship team but there were more players that Les Miles recruited. I’m tired of people not recognizing how good of a coach Les Miles was. He took Oklahoma State from the laughingstock of the Big 12 two 10 win seasons and 2 new years 6 bowl games. And he won a national championship at LSU and got to another one in 2011.

[@donsspecialty3961]

No hard feelings against Saban. Second guessed career moves myself, but you can't have your cake and eat it too.

[@Dustyspeck]

RC can kick rocks!

[@ninopantera1]

the number of National Championships wins reached at Alabama does not sustain your claims : By leaving LSU, Saban went from a talented to a legend coach, so much , that they made a statue of him outside the Alabama stadium

[@DV8NOH8]

We basically made him a statue after 1 title. Saban would've won the same amount here as he did at Bama.

[@RandyDomingue]

All I have to say. I remember Curly Hallman😠

[@tomneff7030]

This is not news.Saban made this comment nearly 4 years ago while accepting his induction into the Louisiana Sports hall of fame..I saw it at that time and commented. If that speech is something you can Google. Look it up.

[@CountTristanStLouis]

I was hurt 🤕😄

[@PeliFan504]

Silent commit from an OT, and Safety in the playoffs.. Jacoby Matthews… these are the topics we want to know about… but it seems those ships have sailed… 9-3

[@westpac6954]

Thankful for Saban turning LSU around? Sure. But I don't believe anything he says. People forget, he sat up at a press conference and said he wasn't leaving LSU. Then, he said he was only leaving LSU because Miami was his "dream job." OK, go live your dream. Then a few years later, he's back in college, back in the SEC, and right next door in the West in Alabama. One heck of a dream it must have been. He goes to the NFL and players laughed at him when he tried his "tough guy Saban" act at practice. I bet if Saban was HONEST, he would say his biggest mistake was taking Culpepper over Brees, not leaving LSU. If he has Brees does Saban stay in the NFL? Yep. Brees has to be worth 10-14 more points a game than a gimpy Daunte Culpepper without a Randy Moss he can just throw a 50/50 ball and know Moss will come down with it.

[@calnoble4651]

Biggest mistake was leaving LSU to go to the NFL. Not just leaving LSU. I think if NIL came about earlier he would have gone somewhere like Texas where he would have an edge

[@KenniethPerkins]

I would like to have Coach Nick back and finish in purple 💜 and gold 💛

[@ivansalazar5448]

Hey! If we anyone at Scott Woodward's office gets word that Saban is considering a return to coaching, we should get on to him like white on rice!

[@ChuckE1954]

I’m sorry Matt no way I listen to anything from Ryan Clark. I have much more I can say but out of respect for your pod cast I will hold it.

[@HarvestCloth]

... I agree with Nick here.... pains me to say it.

[@Heartwing37]

Yep! It was a big mistake. However, things seems to have worked out for him anyway. 😂

[@mack72711]

Aight it's official. Saban loves LSU more than Bama, was it also the Espys when he talked about LSU and not Bama in front of his Bama players on stage? And now this. We hear ya Nick we hear ya. So here's my idea.. BK can't get it done this year get the buyout money together dump his butt and bring in Saban even it's just for a few years because remember BK ain't young either. We got a backup plan people

[@robertbinder98]

I respect Saban but I don’t like him. He built our program up only to leave at a peak then began coaching a rival where he regularly recruited within the state of LA and got commitments from our best HS athletes.

[@LetsssGooooooooo]

You mean leaving MSU wasn't his biggest mistake???😂😂😂

[@dennisguidry3466]

Going to the dolphins was but leaving LSU wasn't . Bama culture is easier to win at

[@CHardy-ht4sm]

Nick cost us at least 2 championships

[@recklessrt]

Yup, Nick built us and taught us to win. But Nick stabbed us through the heart by going to hated Alabama. Bear was bad enough, Nick was far worse.

[@Bighippy143]

we all know why he really left LSU

[@ThomasWayne4312]

Candy lol

[@LuffyZoroSanji97]

Lsu

[@mcdonoghrahloh459]

👻😂

[@tonyreese2528]

Nicky Satan is at it again. He left LSU for the NFL, he was a failure in the NFL. His style of coaching does not work on grown men that are equal to him. He came back to college and settled in Alabama of all places. Nicky I don't believe anything he says. He is Alabama. I am rocking with LSU and those who bleed Purple and Gold. No statues for him in Louisiana. We will be OKAY Nicky.

[@TigerDude333]

I'm much older than you, Saban destroyed any goodwill I ever had for him. Glad you can b the better man, but F him.

[@jakematerne]

Danny Kanells dad was one of the doctors in Miami that did not clear Drew Brees