LSU's Nick Saban decided to leave to take over the Miami Dolphin head coaching job getting an offer he couldn't refuse with the ability to mold the storied franchise with almost all of the personnel control. Oh yeah, and he gets to double his salary making around $5 million per year as opposed to $2.3 million he was making at LSU. Not being a millionaire or able to understand that mindset, I'm not sure if it's worth the extra dough for the nightmare of being an NFL head coach. More than that, it hasn't been a good proposition for the NFL to go after college coaches. More on that in a moment. I also must admit that I really don't understand the ego itch involved with the elite of the elite coaches when it comes to wanting to jump to the NFL. For so long, these guys are among the most ambitious and driven workers found in any profession, and it's hard for them to simply turn it off even though they might already be in the perfect spot. Ask Butch Davis, Steve Spurrier or Dennis Erickson if they'd like to go in Mr. Peabody's wayback machine to the time when their coaching reputations didn't have a black mark on them. It's not like Saban had the ideal situation at LSU, but it was close. As this year showed, playing in the SEC can be like beating your head against the wall; having a heater team doesn't guarantee a championship like it does in other conferences. Some Tiger fans were grumbling a bit after a rocky start this season in one of those "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" deals, but it wasn't any pressure that wouldn't be at any other monster program with yearly national title aspirations. Even so, Saban was making more than enough money to be set for life and was raking it in compared to other college coaches. He had a pipeline of talented players to ensure success for a long time, and he had the potential to grow into a legendary college football head coach. Of course, comfort isn't something top coaches handle very well. The great thing about LSU is the recruiting ability with a fertile state stocked full of talent. Heck, Gerry DiNardo amassed some serious playmakers and created a winner for a while. Saban is a phenomenal defensive coach who was merely average at Michigan State before coming to LSU. The Miami Dolphins have had some phenomenal defenses over the last several years and was merely average. What, exactly, is Saban going to bring to the table? Organizational skills? An even better defense? Actually, the NFL is good fit for the no-nonsense Saban who has always been a professional-type coach on the collegiate level. Of course, he's a great head coach, but the NFL isn't always kind to great head coaches. Do a quick scan of NFL teams and find the ones succeeding with a former successful college head coach. There's, uh, um, Kansas City with Dick Vermiel. Um, uh, the New York Giants are 5-9 going into this weekend under Tom Coughlin. Dennis Green at Arizona is 5-9. San Francisco under Dennis Erickson is 2-12. You can see why Cleveland isn't jumping through hoops to go after another college coach. Simply put, it's hard to be consistently successful in the NFL, much less without a great personnel manager who does nothing but manage personnel. Butch Davis and Mike Holmgren are just two of the more famous disasters, and Saban isn't going to have an easy time turning around the woeful Dolphins in a hurry. Which brings things back to the college game. Everyone likes money, but that's not the main reason any top-flight head coach wants to make the jump to the NFL. The NFL is the big boy league and everyone wants to prove they can coach with the best. However, who wants all of the headaches? To win, you need tremendous luck with personnel, sensational luck in the draft, the ability to woo free agents, and the ability to manage the salary cap. Oh yeah, and you have to deal with NFL players. Saban could be Vince Lombardi, Bill Walsh and Don Shula wrapped up in one, but if he doesn't have a bazillion things fall into place, it's not going to work. College coaches have far, far more control. If an NFL coach doesn't succeed, it's not necessarily his fault. LSU will continue to be more than just fine. The talent is in place to be a monster for the next few years and the athletic department has proven it'll commit to a successful coach and will do what it takes to keep him. At the end of the day Saban was a rent-a-coach as everyone knew he had NFL aspirations, but he happened to be very, very good during his short time in Baton Rouge. LSU fans are angry to see him go, but no one is surprised. Now the key will be to find someone who views LSU as the be-all-end-all destination job, but also someone who can succeed. The bar is set extremely high by Saban during his short stint and it's going to take nothing short of yearly ten-win campaigns to keep the fans happy. :geaux:
"Now the key will be to find someone who views LSU as the be-all-end-all destination job, but also someone who can succeed" AMEN !!!!!!!!!!
True I like most people bought Sabans little speeches hook line and sinker, But quite frankly if we hire another "Until i get my dream NFL job coach" I would rather pass. I hope and this may be a pipe dream we finally get our Bobby Bowden, our coach who will be here and keep us competetive year in and year out until he retires.. Other teams have those kinds of coaches (OU, FSU, Penn State, etc etc) Why cant one of the premier programs in the US have one to. Somewhere buried in my extreme dissapointment among other emotions, I am looking forward to Saban leaving and us moving forward and the yearly Saban to the NFL rumors are over. Would I have chosen to keep Saban and put up with it ?? 6 Days to Sunday.. BUT maybe just maybe LSU has become what we had hoped we could and we DO get that coach that thinks coaching LSU is the end all be all... It can happen.
Twisted, I think LSU would be smart to include a nice, fat buyout in the new coach's deal. It's not unheard of: Tubby has that $3 mil buyout, for example. Simple: you go to the NFL, you butter our bread with a seven-figure buyout. Nick Saban has proven you can win and win big at LSU, and I figure a new coach who comes here with even the slightest thought of using LSU as a stepping stone had best be prepared to pay the price, financially, for such an ambition. It's "natural", for example, for a Southern Cal to be competitive due to a natural recruiting base in California, just as it's natural for Texas or Florida or Miami, etc. Gigs at schools, in short, where an "infrastructure" conducive to success is in place are at a premium, and part of that premium should be a "you go to the NFL, you pay" contract clause, IMO.
and there is the catch........ a successful coach wants to succeed with the big boys in the NFL. This is not "bear Bryant days of old" In Modern times, coaches, if they are worth a dahm tend to move on. it's a catch 22.
How come Stoops, or Ohio States coach, or Lloyd Carr, or Bowden, or Miami's coach, never get mentioned ???? What makes Saban so different then them ?? Most of them have recent National Titles AND several conference Titles. Hell Stoops has been in 3 out 5 National Title games, never have I seen his name mentioned for ANY job but UF and he came out instantly and said no thanks. True SOME coaches are like that, but lets be honest Stoops is not leaving he has found his dream job. Those kinds of coaches are out there. It may be a different time but there are plenty of coaches who will find LSU to be their end all be all job... Other schools have that coach. Why cant we ?
Time will tell, but I personally don't see Saban being anything fantastic to the NFL. Maybe it's the the way I perceive his personallity but that's just my vision of the world.
