re: It’s funny how time has a way of making people look foolish

quote:

---

They don’t necessarily use their heads when they talk though.

---

They talk out the side of their neck

quote:

---

LSU was notorious for being cheap

---

yep

did not spend on coaching or facilities

And that’s about the time the late Stewart Scott said Nick Saban has awakened a sleeping giant. Turns out he was right.

quote:

---

They were NOT big name coaches when they em were hired, you dolt. Geez

---

I disagree. If Les Miles wasn’t a big name hire after turning Oklahoma State around, and Nick Saban wasn’t a big name hire after bringing Michigan State to national relevance, then what would you consider a “big name hire”?

Situations like Saban to Bama, Meyer to OSU, and Jimbo to aTm are very rare. In fact - Alabama, Texas A&M, North Carolina, and Kansas are currently the only schools in the country with head coaches that have won a national championship elsewhere. Two of those four coaches (Mack Brown and Les Miles) were pushed out of their previous jobs for failing to meet expectations.

If Tom Herman, Dan Mullen, and Lane Kiffin are considered “big name” coaching hires then Saban and Miles were too.

quote:

---

I disagree. If Les Miles wasn’t a big name hire after turning Oklahoma State around, and Nick Saban wasn’t a big name hire after bringing Michigan State to national relevance, then what would you consider a “big name hire”?

---

the comments the OP are mentioning were said prior to any of them coming to LSU.

and Saban has to be “sold” on the job.
just making him 3rd highest paid in country wasn’t enough.

we had to convince him that we would actually commit to winning.
Assistant salaries, a S&C program, the nutrition center, the OPs building, a tutoring program, the entire culture on campus, etc.

None of that existed before, because we lined politicians pockets with the money we saved by being cheap.

all of that made the job a whole lot less attractive than it is today.

quote:

---

In 1999, I remember CFB analysts exclaiming on ESPN that they didn’t know that LSU was a very attractive place to coach at a high level for potential big name coaches being discussed in LSU’s coaching search to replace Gerry Dinardo

---

In fairness “big name” coaches still don’t come to LSU.

They become big names AT LSU.

Saban was respected but not a huge name when he was hired.

Miles was not a big name either.

After Miles, 2 of the biggest, Herman and Fisher ended up not coming and we got O.

And for as incredible a job as he has done, literally no one else in the country would have made him HC at the time he was hired.

quote:

---

What big name coaches have we attracted since Dinardo? Feels like every big name we went after turned us dow

---

Saban and Miles were both big name coaches. They were the up-and-coming variety rather than the re-tread variety, but they were both names that were heating up.

quote:

---

While true, LSU was pilloried for giving Saban such an exorbitant contract.

---

correct, but OP is referring to the brief period of time between DiNardo firing and Saban hiring.

the Saban hire was the first step in changing the way LSU did business. Which in turn changed the public perception of the program.

For my argument I will define “Hot” coaches and “Big Name” coaches.

Hot coaches are successful head coaches from smaller programs or highly regarded coordinators. Saban at Michigan State, Les at Oklahoma State, Herman at Houston, Pelini and Jimbo at LSU, and Aranda at LSU.

Big name coaches are much rarer. They are proven winners at big named programs or NFL. Saban proven at LSU, Urban proven at Florida, Harbaugh with Stanford and 49ers, and Jimbo at FSU.


LSU hot coaches post Charlie Mac. "Bo" Rein, NC State 1976-1979 ACC champ. Arnsparger, Miami Dolphins DC 1976-1983. Mike Archer, DC LSU 1985-86. Saban, Michigan State 1995–1999. Yes Saban was hot and NOT a big name. Was 6–5–1, 6–6, 7–5, and 6-6 before going 9–2 with wins over Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. Les, Oklahoma State 2001-04.

LSU big name coaches: Jimbo Fisher, FSU National Championship, 2010–2017. Unofficially hired by LSU 2015, officially screwed by LSU 2015.

The Les fiasco was an anomaly, but kinda glad Texas got the hot coach, Texas A&M got the big name coach, and LSU got stuck with the shrimp boat captain!

LSU creator of multiple hot coaches and three big name coaches.

quote:

---

I remember CFB analysts exclaiming on ESPN that they didn’t know that LSU was a very attractive place to coach at a high level for potential big name coaches being discussed in LSU’s coaching search to replace Gerry Dinardo.

---

Curley Hallman was not even making 100k as our head football coach. Dinardo was making a bit more, maybe like 300-400k.

I think the lack of "attractiveness" had more to do with us being seen as cheapskates, than anything else.

It took someone like Emmert to see the bigger picture here.