what nick saban did for LSU

contrary to some on here, esp the younger ones, nick saban did not create LSU as a national power. he did not "make" LSU. LSU was not a dismal program before he came and resurrected it.
nick saban is not the reason LSU has a great program now.

but nick saban was very important for LSU's climb back from the years of mediocre head coaching. gerry dinardo had already built the "fence" and was recruiting louisiana very well and the talent was there for a good coach to come in and take the team to higher ground. but LSU's weaknesses were....

1)a meddling administration and "good ole boy" network around the state that wanted to have a voice in the program.

2)low coaching pay scales. this create a conundrum when hiring a new coach; LSU simply would not pay for top new talent, head coach or asst. coaches

3)money. no taf. there was no long term plan for funding athletic teams and title 9 (?) required lots of money be spent on non revenue generating womans sports.

so saban came in and "taught" the administration you get what you pay for. if LSU wanted to be periniel (sp) top 10 again they had to raise the funds necessary to expand and improve the facilities, including a state of the art academic center and enough funds to attract top coaches. when LSU won the NC in '03 (remember, saban had lost FIVE games the year before) the tide turned. LSU now knew he was correct. of course saban had already stepped on lots of good ole boy toes and now he could stomp on them.

that's what saban did for us. he was a good head coach but not near as good as he is now. without the NC the program may not have got the jump start it needed; saban's body of work alone simply was not good enough nor than outstanding. in fact, miles is miles ahead of him in many regards, esp not getting shite stomped like every saban team but one did. florida, auburn, alabama and others beat the crap out of us on at least one occasion ( i mean by 4 or 5 td's).

LSU also taught saban that college football riches are in the south (mostly) and that the recruiting and fan support are simply the best. LSU most definately helped make his career. he earned it but if he would have taken a different job his career might never have really launched imo. LSU was indeed a giant just awakening from a series of lousy HC decisions.