Nick Saban Weighs In On LSU Coaching Opening After Brian Kelly Firing, And What Matters In College Football

If there's anyone who knows the importance of top-level coaching and what it takes to win with the LSU Tigers, it's Nick Saban.

Saban was 48-15 in Baton Rouge, won two SEC Championships and the 2003 BCS National Championship. He's spoken openly about his regrets, leaving LSU for the NFL. His time there catapulted the LSU program to a new level, one that continued with Les Miles and reached a peak with the dominant 2019 Tigers team led by Joe Burrow. 

Now though, LSU is going through a full reset. Brian Kelly is out, after a 5-3 start to the 2025 season and perceived underperformance since taking the job in late-2021. Athletic director Scott Woodward is also gone, and there's little leadership left to find the next head coach. 

With several other openings at big programs, like Penn State and Florida, it's up for debate which represents the "best" job. The combination of local recruiting, facilities, stadium, fan support, recent success, and university backing. Saban though, had a much simpler answer when asked about the LSU opening relative to other vacancies. 

Nick Saban on College Game Day on September 13, 2025 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

Nick Saban Thinks Modern College Football Comes Down To One Priority

In an interview with On3, Saban was asked whether the LSU job was the best in the country. And gave the answer that's become obvious to college football fans and observers. 

"That’s changed dramatically," he responded, "the whole question of what constitutes the best job. What used to make a job great was facilities, fan support, good academic support, recruiting base and being able to create value for the players."

"Now that has been minimized to how much money do you have to spend on building a roster," Saban said. "That is the most important thing by far."

Sure is. Have the money to invest, sign the best recruits, have the best team. It's that simple. Having the best, or most talented roster, doesn't guarantee a championship. Coaching, luck, schedules, minimizing turnovers and so on are necessary for converting that talent into success. But like with most things in life, having the most money is a great place to start. 

Former LSU running back Jacob Hester jumped in, saying that LSU has some advantages even over other SEC teams. Having the ability to dominate high school recruiting in Louisiana, without in-state competition from other big programs.

"You have a stranglehold on the talent," Hester said. "There’s such a benefit in being the big dog in a state with this much talent. You’re not fighting Auburn if you’re Alabama or fighting Miami and FSU if you’re Florida."

What about Saban returning to Baton Rouge? Would he even consider it? SEC booster Paul Finebaum, who's obviously well-connected to the coaching and program scene in that conference, thinks so.

"What would it take to get Nick Saban to leave the GameDay set sitting next to [Pat] McAfee every Saturday to go to LSU? It would take more than he made at Alabama, which was about $10 or $11 million. But if they came up with a package — I think you could literally fill in the number — do I think Saban would think about it for a minute? Yes, I do."

That seems unlikely, but with the way college football has developed, never say never.