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Hypothetical regarding Saban coaching at small university in his prime
Posted on 8/20/25 at 6:07 pm
Posted on 8/20/25 at 6:07 pm
Let’s say Saban becomes La Tech head coach in 2008. Do you think they ever win a national championship? I’m speaking to how college football was then also not now with all the NIL stuff. La Tech was just a random small school I thought of.
Eta: I’m asking about one championship not multiple. And obviously they wouldn’t be on Bama’s level
Eta: I’m asking about one championship not multiple. And obviously they wouldn’t be on Bama’s level
This post was edited on 8/20/25 at 8:19 pm
19
Posted on 8/20/25 at 6:12 pm to Mushroom1968
Id say almost 0 chance. Look how well Boise was rolling and they couldn’t get it done. Sabans a better coach than Chris Petersen obviously but still.
Posted on 8/20/25 at 6:15 pm to Pedro
quote:
Id say almost 0 chance. Look how well Boise was rolling and they couldn’t get it done. Sabans a better coach than Chris Petersen obviously but still.
I was thinking that. Curious how good of players Saban would have been able to pull at La Tech. Iirc La Tech had good offenses in those days, wonder if Saban could have fixed the defense and made one lucky run with a few extra good recruits
Posted on 8/20/25 at 6:15 pm to Mushroom1968
quote:
Saban becomes La Tech head coach in 2008. Do you think they ever win a national championship
LMAO
Is this a serious question? They wouldn't have come anywhere even remotely close.
Posted on 8/20/25 at 6:17 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
Is this a serious question? They wouldn't have come anywhere even remotely close.
I mean it’s just a fun (to me at least) hypothetical. I don’t believe they would have won one. Just curious what others may think
Posted on 8/20/25 at 6:31 pm to Mushroom1968
quote:
Let’s say Saban becomes La Tech head coach in 2008. Do you think they ever win a national championship? I’m speaking to how college football was then also not now with all the NIL stuff. La Tech was just a random small school I thought of.
The preseason polls would have been biased against them, as well as being in the wrong conference to get recruits… remember, you are who you play
Posted on 8/20/25 at 6:41 pm to chalmetteowl
Not to mention the fact that la tech has only a fraction of the resources that Saban had at bama, no way this happens.
He’s the goat, but you take away sec resources (facilities, boosters, etc) and he’s doesn’t come close to the success he had at bama
He’s the goat, but you take away sec resources (facilities, boosters, etc) and he’s doesn’t come close to the success he had at bama
Posted on 8/20/25 at 7:27 pm to Mushroom1968
He could recruit well and have them punching above their weight.
He isn't winning multiple natties without Dodge Chargers.
He isn't winning multiple natties without Dodge Chargers.
Posted on 8/20/25 at 7:59 pm to Mushroom1968
Me with MTSU in NCAA 2014
Posted on 8/20/25 at 8:24 pm to Mushroom1968
I think a good question would be does he win a title at Michigan State if he never left? I think there's a good argument they at least play for one.
Posted on 8/20/25 at 8:25 pm to SCLibertarian
I think there he could have
Posted on 8/20/25 at 10:09 pm to Mushroom1968
I'd say no at Louisiana Tech. Maybe somewhere else if there was an opportunity to get high-level athletes on defense. A lot of what made the LSU and Alabama teams so good was having corners that were good in man, then high-level big athletes along the front who could stop the run and rush QBs.
Posted on 8/20/25 at 10:16 pm to Mushroom1968
Saban could have taken a lot of mid majors to the promised land, but a school like LA Tech? I don't even think he could have managed that.
Posted on 8/20/25 at 10:32 pm to Mushroom1968
He probably would have lost to ULM at Tech as well.
Posted on 8/20/25 at 10:59 pm to Mushroom1968
quote:
Let’s say Saban becomes La Tech head coach in 2008. Do you think they ever win a national championship?
Short answer: No.
Long answer: Hell no.
Posted on 8/20/25 at 11:00 pm to Honest Tune
Could he have eventually won one? Possibly, but not likely. One of the reasons he was so successful at Alabama especially was anytime he wanted something he got it. New weight room? Done. Expand said weight room later? Done. Build another new weight room? Sure thing. Want to make the indoor facility actually 100+ yards long? Sure we will move tennis out of the other side and do it even though that means they don't have a true indoor tennis facility for a year while we build their new one on the other side of campus. State of the art nutrition center for athletes ? I think you see where this is going. Very few programs actually had the money to do what he wanted to do, and even some of those wouldn't have done it exactly how he wanted to do it even though they could afford it.
Posted on 8/20/25 at 11:04 pm to Mushroom1968
No chance at a small university. But he was great at Toledo the one year he was there. Went from a .500 squad in league to a one loss team. I think he would have Toledo in contention for the group of 5 spot in today’s format. He also recommended a great new coach to hire when he left (Gary Pinkel).
For Mich St, as great as he is- he only had one good year there. They don’t win a ‘ship unless Michigan shoots themselves in the foot and MSU then becomes the big dog in the state, which did happen a while back. But there’s a reason he left for LSU.
For Mich St, as great as he is- he only had one good year there. They don’t win a ‘ship unless Michigan shoots themselves in the foot and MSU then becomes the big dog in the state, which did happen a while back. But there’s a reason he left for LSU.
Posted on 8/20/25 at 11:04 pm to BamaDude06
Saban came to LSU the first year I started at LSU. It seemed every year after it was rumored he was taking this or that job. I specifically remember Charles Hanagrif one radio show (after Saban took the Miami job) quoting some ancient Greek wisdom, paraphrasing, “a wise man knows to plant a tree even if he will never sleep under its shade.”
He was basically giving credit to Nick for pulling LSU out of the dark ages as it pertained to facilities and upgrades.
He was basically giving credit to Nick for pulling LSU out of the dark ages as it pertained to facilities and upgrades.
Posted on 8/20/25 at 11:37 pm to Mushroom1968
I think the question is much more interesting if it's "what if Saban went to La Tech in 2018"
At that point he had won 4 titles at Alabama and was the best coach in the country by a wide margin. I think in that instance, they would immediately start pulling in top 10 classes and be right in the hunt
At that point he had won 4 titles at Alabama and was the best coach in the country by a wide margin. I think in that instance, they would immediately start pulling in top 10 classes and be right in the hunt
Posted on 8/21/25 at 12:51 am to OhioLSUfan
quote:
For Mich St, as great as he is- he only had one good year there. They don’t win a ‘ship unless Michigan shoots themselves in the foot and MSU then becomes the big dog in the state, which did happen a while back. But there’s a reason he left for LSU.
That's because he didn't develop his "Process" until the middle of the 1998 season. I think he would have eventually won one at MSU but he correctly bet on being able to win one faster at a school that was the number one school in their state like LSU (and eventually Alabama).
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