LSU’s fall from a top-10 contender to an unranked team happened faster than anyone in Baton Rouge could have imagined. As the search for his replacement heats up, an unexpected name has started making noise: former Tigers coach and the G.O.A.T. of CFB, Nick Saban. Though long retired and settled into his ESPN role, the buzz around a possible Baton Rouge reunion shows just how desperate LSU fans are to recapture the dominance of the Saban era.

The rumors soon spiraled so wildly that Nick Saban’s daughter, Kristen Saban, felt compelled to step in and put them to rest. When CFBAlerts’ Instagram page listed Saban among LSU’s supposed head coach candidates alongside names like Jon Sumrall, Eli Drinkwitz, Urban Meyer, and Lane Kiffin. “Head coach candidates for LSU Who will they hire?” Kristen was clearly baffled by the speculation. She quickly reposted the graphic on her Instagram Story with a blunt response, “Some of y’all are literally brain dead.” 

Well, her resentment is justified. Nick Saban’s name seems to surface every time a major program has a coaching vacancy. Just days after James Franklin’s exit, rumors linked him to Penn State, too. What makes it more surprising is that Saban has already addressed these rumors head-on. Speaking with Pat McAfee recently, he made his stance crystal clear. “I wanna stay retired.” He further added, “No way, I have so much fun working with you. Why would I go do that?”

Nick Saban is clearly enjoying his time as ESPN’s analyst, and for him, coaching seems firmly in the rearview now. Looking at Nick Saban’s 292-71-1 overall coaching record in college and 15-17 in the NFL, he has nothing left to prove. Back in January on the Pivot Podcast, Nick Saban made it clear that if he ever plans on returning as a coach, he would choose the NFL rather than college football.

“I loved coaching pro ball, and if I was going to coach today, based on the circumstances in college and in the NFL, I would coach in the NFL, because all those things in college have changed,” he said. That’s right; in this ever-changing NIL and transfer portal era, players are making moves for money rather than excellence. But what’s surprising is that despite a $100 million offer on the card, he’s refusing to make his way towards LSU.

Nick Saban gets $100 million backing

With constant firing in the helm, teams like the Florida Gators, LSU Tigers, and Penn State are looking for a coach who can rebuild their program. And analysts like Joel Klatt are already urging LSU Tigers Athletic Director Scott Woodward to go for him. “I don’t think money is going to be a factor in what they go after. Therefore, there are two people that are going to get calls, and I think that LSU is going to force them to turn down $15 million a year. And that is Urban Meyer and Nick Saban,” Davis said.

Bringing up Nick Saban’s name makes sense, as he is the man who led them to their first SEC championship since 1986 in the 2001 season. Then, in 2003, under him, they had a 13-1 season, which made a single-season record for breaking the 11-win mark since 1958. That’s exactly why, even with Davis, Clay Travis is urging both Governor Jeff Landry and Woodward to get Nick Saban on board, even if it means paying him $100 million.

“I would call up Jimmy Sexton and/or Nick Saban directly, but probably Jimmy Sexton, his agent, and I would say, ‘We want you back at LSU.’Nick, I’d go off saving $25 million a year. I’m not sure that he would take it, but that is the 100%. I feel very confident. Nick Saban, at LSU for four years,” Travis said. Well, after paying Brian Kelly’s $53 million buyout, giving $25 million to Saban won’t be ideal for the Tigers. Then, knowing Saban’s disinterest, it will be interesting to see which coach finally steps in as their HC.