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Did Saban think Houston Nutt was a great replacement for us after he left to the Dolphins?
Posted on 10/21/25 at 5:26 pm
Posted on 10/21/25 at 5:26 pm
Or did he think he would not do well where he would get his job back if he didn’t like the NFL? I just thought it was odd that he recommended Nutt out of all the coaches but I know he was a pain in Saban’s arse on those Black Friday games vs Arkansas.
I remember Skip Bertman saying Saban called him wanting to come back to LSU but he said he couldn’t give him his job back because Les Miles was doing great at the time.
I remember Skip Bertman saying Saban called him wanting to come back to LSU but he said he couldn’t give him his job back because Les Miles was doing great at the time.
5
Posted on 10/21/25 at 5:29 pm to Byrdybyrd05
Probably just the first name that popped in his head. He didn’t give a rats arse who we hired at the time.
Posted on 10/21/25 at 5:31 pm to Byrdybyrd05
Nutt, for whatever reason, was a hot name at the time.
Myself, I never got it. Was never impressed.
Myself, I never got it. Was never impressed.
Posted on 10/21/25 at 5:32 pm to Godfather1
Same agent if I recall
Posted on 10/21/25 at 5:33 pm to Byrdybyrd05
He was sabotaging LSU.
Posted on 10/21/25 at 5:36 pm to Godfather1
Houston Nutt was Arkansas version of Coach O being an Arkansas guy and he was successful but flamed out at the end. I never wanted him and there was not a lot of good names out there at the time and I remember this board being pissed we hired Les Miles not being a big name. Bertman interviewed Bobby Petrino but he didn’t like him at all after his interview. There was not a name that year that got me fired up and Urban was already hired at Florida but he was still unproven at the time.
Posted on 10/21/25 at 5:40 pm to moneyg
quote:
He was sabotaging LSU.
The story I’ve always heard that he was all set to announce that he was going to stay at LSU prior to an 8 am meeting in Skip’s office on Christmas Eve, 2004. At 8:15, he stormed out of Skip’s office, went directly out to the airport where Huizenga was waiting on the Dolphins jet, and signed the contract.
I don’t know if any of this is true or not, or if so, what was said in the meeting. But if it is true, apparently the LSU campus just wasn’t big enough for both Skip and Nick.
Posted on 10/21/25 at 5:42 pm to LSU_postman
quote:this...pretty sure Sexton was trying to get a client the job...
Same agent if I recall
Posted on 10/21/25 at 5:45 pm to Byrdybyrd05
quote:
I remember this board being pissed we hired Les Miles not being a big name.
Les was like the 7th or 8th choice. I remember watching his Okie State bowl game against tOSU in my apartment in New Orleans hoping the Cowboys would get demolished so Skip would rule him out. They did get blasted (33-7 if I remember right), but Skip hired him anyway.
quote:
Urban was already hired at Florida
That’s where Nick really fricked us over. Two weeks sooner and we might’ve had a shot at Urban.
Posted on 10/21/25 at 5:46 pm to Byrdybyrd05
Nutt always gave Saban trouble and his style was conducive to the in state talent here. Thats why he mentioned him. Fans have a tenancy to use lego logic when it comes to coaches.. “Coach X won this amount here so put him at LSU and it automatically produces Y” That isn’t how it works 99% of the time.
Posted on 10/21/25 at 6:05 pm to Godfather1
And then a week later we lost to Iowa in the capital one bowl and Saban was gone. Shitty times. I remember the signs people had at that game begging him not to leave. We knew we lost the best thing to ever happen to LSU football. Little did we know 2 years later around the same time, right before we were to play in the sugar Bowl against ND, we find out that he was taking the Alabama job. That was another sad day.
Posted on 10/21/25 at 6:08 pm to Byrdybyrd05
I’ve often thought about that. I think it was a combination of what you said: Nutt was always a problem for LSU and Nick, and Nick wanting to create an exit plan. Don’t forget Nick also recommended Kirk Ferentz who is unbelievably still coaching Iowa.
Posted on 10/21/25 at 8:41 pm to Riverside
quote:
Don’t forget Nick also recommended Kirk Ferentz who is unbelievably still coaching Iowa.
Everyone at the time thought Ferentz would end up replacing Paterno at Penn State when he retired. Now he’s not even an option for that job.
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