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Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
It was announced this week that former LSU and current Alabama head coach Nick Saban has been inducted into The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

Saban will be one of eight inductees, along with Ronnie Coleman, Lou Dunbar, Joe Horn, Kerry Kittles, Phil Robertson, Charles Tilman, and Angela Turner headed into the 2020 Hall class on Saturday, June 27, in Natchitoches, Louisianna.

Saban, who coached at LSU from 2000-04 and won the BCS National Championship with the Tigers in 2003, recently spoke about his time in Baton Rouge and said if he could do it over again, he would have never left LSU for the Miami Dolphins job. Per The Daily Advertiser:
quote:

"I remember Richard Gill and Skip and I meeting in Skip's office," Saban said. "And I was really torn about it. And Skip said, 'You've just got to decide what you want your legacy to be. You want it to be as a college coach? Or do you want to try to make a name for yourself as a NFL coach?'

"And I really wanted to be a college coach, but I had it in the back of my mind all the time that the ultimate thing that you could accomplish in the profession was to be a head coach in the NFL. Don't ask me why. But that was just kind of there. And I thought, probably because of Wayne Huizenga (the late Dolphins' owner) that was the right one. He was a pretty good recruiter."

Saban soon realized he should have listened to the other recruiter, Bertman, as he was going 9-7 and 6-10 with the Dolphins.

"As it turns out, what I learned from that experience in hindsight was, it was a huge mistake to leave college football," Saban said. "And I know a lot of LSU fans think I left for whatever reasons, but I left because I wanted to be a pro coach, or thought I wanted to be a pro coach. We loved LSU. We worked hard to build the program. If there was one thing professionally that I would do over again, it would've been not to leave LSU." Read more.
Saban also talked about his Hall of Fame induction during the SEC Coaches Teleconference on Wednesday:

Filed Under: LSU Football

Comments

59 Comments
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Please don’t vote Les in the HOF.
Reply48 months
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I think its too late for that
48 months
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Wow! Petty. Les was inducted last year. Winningest coach in school history for the time he was here. Only Charlie McClendon won more games and he was here 18 full seasons compared to Les' 11-1/4 seasons.
48 months
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Now he gets to kick our arse every year. Was it worth it? Yeah.
Reply49 months
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God’s hands were on bringing Saban ti Bama. Devine guidance. Kiss them raingz!
Reply49 months
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Divine.
49 months
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I fully understand Saban’s desires and ambition, as well as appreciate all he did for LSU. I just hate that Ala freaking Bama of all people were the beneficiaries of his mistake.
Reply49 months
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Fun fact: his first game back at Tiger stadium was coaching the Dolphins against the Saints.
Reply49 months
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He’s deserving of the honor but it’s retarded to not wait until he’s no longer coaching against LSU
Reply49 months
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Honest admission. Great recruiter and coach. Followed his heart (ambition to excel). Got my respect. Hope we kick his arse.
Reply49 months
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Honest admission. Great recruiter and coach. Followed his heart (ambition to excel). Got my respect. Hope we kick his arse.
Reply49 months
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I wish he was still here too. We would have about 7 NC by now. At least he gave us Drew Brees.
Reply49 months
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So many butthurt LSU fans. I'm not one of them. He brought LSU to the next level.
Reply49 months
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Agree, he didn’t leave LSU in a frick you blazing double middle finger way straight to bama. That was the best job open when he left the pros.
49 months
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He not only brought the LSU football program back almost 20 years ago, he is forcing the Tigers to become even better now.
Reply49 months
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One of the best comments Ive ever seen on Tigerdroppings
49 months
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With all due respect, frick that guy.
Reply49 months
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He will never know what it's like to be a winner like Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, and Pete Carrol. 3 legends.
Reply49 months
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"I will not be the next coach at Alabama, aight. I dont know how many times I have to say it."
Reply49 months
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Oh he loved LSU so much as to come back and accept a job at Alabama ALABAMA!! I don't believe a word that comes out o' that high minded self centered man's mouth.
Reply49 months
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So he should have turned down the best college job open? Why didn’t Skip fire Leslie and hire him back?
49 months
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Well the LSU job wasn’t open when he quit the Dolphins so
49 months
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What was he supposed to do, wait until the LSU job became available again?
49 months
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of course he regretted it - he went to the pro's, tried his napoleon complex and the players told him to frick off.....not to mention he got his arse whipped all season in the NFL.
Reply49 months
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Not really, and if they get Brees and not Culpepper he likely ends up staying there and being successful. The nfl is a league of inches, just takes a few small decisions or pivot points to completely change someone’s legacy.
49 months
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On a side note... Kerry Kittles was an absolute baller in HS. Played at the same time as Randy Livingston. NOLA HS basketball was amazing back then.
Reply49 months
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On a serious note, one day he will come back to Tiger Stadium with his 2003 team to honor them. I would like to think the Tiger Faithful will treat the man well. Despite the fact that he is a current adversary, he did indeed bring the program back from some very hard times. For that, I am grateful.
Reply49 months
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GumpMelt in 3....2....1.....
Reply49 months
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I never understood why LSU fans have so much animosity for what he did. He did what he felt was best for himself at the time. I moved to BR in 1989, and in the years leading up to Saban's arrival, LSU was certainly nothing special. He turned LSU into a powerhouse. Without him, LSU likely wouldn't be where it is today as a program. LSU's fans should be grateful, not resentful.
Reply49 months
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It’s not what he did while he was here, or that he left for the NFL. It’s that when he came back he went to a team that was in the same division. It really shouldn’t be that hard to understand.
49 months
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He lied about leaving, then 2 years later, came back to college coaching not just in the same conference, but the same division. If he'd have gone to like Ohio State, or even somewhere like Florida, the animosity wouldn't be there. But to come back so soon and to Alabama was too much.
49 months
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His legacy is understandable, but what people probably still resent most is he's the one that's also solely responsible for LSU's lack of success since his arrival back to the College/SEC West/Alabama. Had he not come back, LSU would arguably have at least 3 more national championships and 7 more had he never left. Making LSU the dynasty of the millennium (NOT BAMA!)
49 months
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