Haha. I am sure the bammers will love this statement. Should have never left LSU.
Nick Saban’s decision 20 years ago to leave LSU to coach in the NFL set up one of the biggest ‘what-ifs’ not only in Baton Rouge, but in modern sports history.
Even the newly announced Hall-of-Fame coach, for all his legendary focus during his career on the present and on controllables, can’t help but look back and second-guess his departure to some degree.
And when asked open-endedly by Clark, one of his former Tigers, for all the right decisions he made during his career, was there anything he wished he had done differently, Saban did not hesitate to call leaving LSU “probably professionally the biggest mistake I ever made.”
Saban said even his agent Jimmy Sexton pressed him in the moment to reevaluate his thought process before making the leap.
The coach spent two seasons with the Miami Dolphins before returning to the college ranks at SEC West rival Alabama and building a dynasty.
He told “The Pivot” crew he learned even more so about himself during his time in the NFL that he preferred the college level where he felt able to have a greater impact as a coach to younger athletes.
“But then I can’t go back to LSU,” where successor Les Miles and company were building toward their 2007 national championship, Saban said of his route back to college.
And the rest is history — and some nagging hypothetical.
“You ain’t gonna like it when I say this,” Saban told Clark and his cohosts. “But I think sometimes you have to learn about yourself, and you might think things — 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 I found out in that experience that I like coaching in college better because you can develop players personally, academically, athletically and all that a little more than in pro ball. Even though I loved the status of coaching in pro football and the kinda guys you coached and you’re coaching in the best league against the best players. I loved all that.
“So then I can’t go back to LSU, go to Alabama. And no disrespect to Alabama, it’s not Alabama vs. LSU. It’s just Jimmy Sexton stood on the balcony when I was getting ready to leave LSU or make a decision about whether I went to Miami or stayed at LSU, and he said, ‘What do you want your legacy to be as a coach? Do you want to be Vince Lombardi, or do you want to be Bear Bryant?’ And without hesitation, I said Bear Bryant. And he said, ‘What are you doing going to Miami then?’ And that’s true. I dont’ know if I’ve ever told that story, but that’s the truth. We stood outside of Skip Bertman’s office on the balcony, and I went anyway.”
Nick Saban’s decision 20 years ago to leave LSU to coach in the NFL set up one of the biggest ‘what-ifs’ not only in Baton Rouge, but in modern sports history.
Even the newly announced Hall-of-Fame coach, for all his legendary focus during his career on the present and on controllables, can’t help but look back and second-guess his departure to some degree.
And when asked open-endedly by Clark, one of his former Tigers, for all the right decisions he made during his career, was there anything he wished he had done differently, Saban did not hesitate to call leaving LSU “probably professionally the biggest mistake I ever made.”
Saban said even his agent Jimmy Sexton pressed him in the moment to reevaluate his thought process before making the leap.
The coach spent two seasons with the Miami Dolphins before returning to the college ranks at SEC West rival Alabama and building a dynasty.
He told “The Pivot” crew he learned even more so about himself during his time in the NFL that he preferred the college level where he felt able to have a greater impact as a coach to younger athletes.
“But then I can’t go back to LSU,” where successor Les Miles and company were building toward their 2007 national championship, Saban said of his route back to college.
And the rest is history — and some nagging hypothetical.
“You ain’t gonna like it when I say this,” Saban told Clark and his cohosts. “But I think sometimes you have to learn about yourself, and you might think things — 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 I found out in that experience that I like coaching in college better because you can develop players personally, academically, athletically and all that a little more than in pro ball. Even though I loved the status of coaching in pro football and the kinda guys you coached and you’re coaching in the best league against the best players. I loved all that.
“So then I can’t go back to LSU, go to Alabama. And no disrespect to Alabama, it’s not Alabama vs. LSU. It’s just Jimmy Sexton stood on the balcony when I was getting ready to leave LSU or make a decision about whether I went to Miami or stayed at LSU, and he said, ‘What do you want your legacy to be as a coach? Do you want to be Vince Lombardi, or do you want to be Bear Bryant?’ And without hesitation, I said Bear Bryant. And he said, ‘What are you doing going to Miami then?’ And that’s true. I dont’ know if I’ve ever told that story, but that’s the truth. We stood outside of Skip Bertman’s office on the balcony, and I went anyway.”
