Alternate History: What if Saban had come back?

Some LSU officials knew something was up, too, and — like a recruit they'd have to sit on until Signing Day — weren't comfortable until they introduced Saban at a news conference.

Says Charlie Weems, a member of LSU's search committee: "To this day, I believe that had the Michigan State president called Nick at any time up until the moment he stepped up to the press conference, he could have had Nick back. Nick makes these decisions reluctantly."

But often.

Floyd Robertson wrote:I think he's probably gone by 2003 anyway, probably directly to the NFL. Mr. I Don't Know would surely have taken over and we'd still have been fucked. Maybe we skip JLS and straight to Dantonio tough.

LooseGoose wrote:Where would we be today?

I don't think we'd be the position we're in now, we'd be worse off.

Book: Tearful Saban wanted to stay at Michigan State

Some LSU officials knew something was up, too, and — like a recruit they'd have to sit on until Signing Day — weren't comfortable until they introduced Saban at a news conference.

Says Charlie Weems, a member of LSU's search committee: "To this day, I believe that had the Michigan State president called Nick at any time up until the moment he stepped up to the press conference, he could have had Nick back. Nick makes these decisions reluctantly."

But often.

GRR Spartan wrote:

LooseGoose wrote:Where would we be today?

I don't think we'd be the position we're in now, we'd be worse off.

Book: Tearful Saban wanted to stay at Michigan State

That quote is pure unadulterated BS.  Had Nick Saban wanted to stay in EL he would have told his agent to start working on his new contract after the last game of the regular season and have it announce after the bowl game.  Saban and his agent wanted a new contract after beating umaa.and McPhereson told them there would be no talks until after the season was completed.  There was no way Saban would have comeback after offering every coach on his MSU staff a job in Baton Rouge if the wanted to join him on the private jet and the had no takers.

According to folks who were on the BOT at that time, Saban's best quality at MSU was his wife Terry who did yeoman's work because Nick hadn't realized being the HC  at a college wasn't like being an assistant.

Floyd Robertson wrote:

GRR Spartan wrote:

That quote is pure unadulterated BS.  Had Nick Saban wanted to stay in EL he would have told his agent to start working on his new contract after the last game of the regular season and have it announce after the bowl game.  Saban and his agent wanted a new contract after beating umaa.and McPhereson told them there would be no talks until after the season was completed.  There was no way Saban would have comeback after offering every coach on his MSU staff a job in Baton Rouge if the wanted to join him on the private jet and the had no takers.

According to folks who were on the BOT at that time, Saban's best quality at MSU was his wife Terry who did yeoman's work because Nick hadn't realized being the HC  at a college wasn't like being an assistant.

Everybody always thinks that McPherson screwed up, but as I recall, he was more than willing to negotiate with Saban after the season and offer him and the staff healthy raises.  McPherson just didn't want to be negotiating with the gun Nick had pointed at his head after the victory over u of m.  I will never have a problem with McPherson's approach on that.

Giant Moose wrote:We'd be better off. If Saban had come back, we would have not gone as long between Rose Bowls. Our program was basically set back 10 years by Williams and Smith.

Saban also would have been around for the years when Izzo really started to become powerful, and the two of them working together to build a powerful athletic department would have been impressive.

Dr. Strangelove wrote:Reminds me of an old interview I saw with The Who's manager they asked him what would Keith Moon be doing if he hadn't died in 1978. His answer: "he'd be dead".

Keith Moon was never going to be old and Nick Saban was never going to be coach at MSU for a long time. If it wasn't LSU it would have been someone else

Blanch32 wrote:

Agreed. Granted our admin wasn't going to commit to the football program like saban demanded nor was perles on the BOT to support his earlier vision, so its not all McPherson.


...and let's not forget that dantonio himself easily could have joined Nick but chose not to. Remember this was pre tressel at OSU. Also, love the fact that half sabans staff is old jls assistants and Bobby.