Nick Saban says leaving LSU was the biggest mistake he ever made

Former LSU head coach Nick Saban made some waves after appearing on a podcast this week.

You probably know Saban’s story by now. He built LSU into a championship program before taking a job with the Miami Dolphins. When it didn’t work out in the NFL, Saban returned to college football and built a dynasty at Alabama.

Saban’s success at Alabama often had LSU fans asking, “What if?”

On former Tiger Ryan Clark’s “The Pivot” podcast, Saban said leaving LSU was “the biggest mistake I ever made,” throughout his storied career.

“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,” Saban said.

His agent, Jimmy Sexton, asked him if he’d rather have a legacy like Vince Lombardi or Bear Bryant when deciding between the Tigers and Dolphins.

“Without hesitation I said Bear Bryant and he said ‘what are you doing going to Miami?’” Saban said.

After compiling a 15-17 record through two season with the Miami Dolphins, Saban returned to the college ranks as Alabama’s head coach. He won six national championships and nine SEC titles with the Crimson Tide.

Though he took a liking to “coaching in the best league against the best players” while in the NFL, Saban was drawn back to all that the college level offered.

LSU won two SEC titles and the 2003 BCS national championship under Saban. He is fifth on the program’s all-time wins list with 48, just behind Ed Orgeron’s 51.

Had Saban remained with LSU, the college football landscape would look a lot different.