re: Saban was at LSU for 5 seasons.. Had less than 3 losses only once.

Clearly Eaux is a better coach.

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wow. Top 10 rebuild? No.

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Right?

Not single poster was calling lsu a rebuild until the staff herp derped their way into historic losses.

In four years as head coach of the football team, Saban led the Tigers to two Southeastern Conference Championships, one national championship and four bowl games. Emmert’s decision launched LSU’s football future from bad and average and very good every now and then over the previous quarter century to sustained greatness for more than the next decade. There were national championships in the 2003 and 2007 seasons after none since 1958 and a national championship game appearance at 13-0 in the 2011 season. There were Southeastern Conference titles in 2001, ’03, ’07 and ’11 after none since 1988.

LSU was never greater for longer than in that span because Emmert set the market. He didn’t try to get close to setting the market as Alleva did, offering $5 million for Herman after his agent Trace Armstrong said he could have been gotten for the 6 million Alleva offered Fisher.




"The critical role of our football program is clear -- it is of vital importance to the entire LSU community: Our students, our fans and alumni worldwide, and the state of Louisiana. Simply put, success in LSU football is essential for the success of Louisiana State University."

Those were the words of LSU Chancellor Mark Emmert in November of 1999 launching his Flagship Agenda. With the help of Scott Woodward picked by James Carville, Emmert lobbied the Legislature for funds, and raised 300 million from TAF and Boosters. Improvements were made to athletic facilities, most notably the creation of the Cox Communications Academic Center, renovation and expansion of Tiger Stadium, and a new state-of-the-art enclosure for the campus mascot, Mike the Tiger, that has become a major attraction for visitors to campus. Emmert’s wife, DeLaine Emmert, was very engaged in these fund raising efforts. State support for the university reached a then-historic high during Emmert's tenure.

In 1999, Emmert hired Nick Saban as football coach. LSU won the BCS Championship in 2004 under Saban's tutelage.

The graduation rate of the LSU football team, among the lowest in the SEC when Emmert arrived, was among the highest by 2004.



Head Coach Gerry DiNardo had been fired after a 2-8 start to the 1999 football season and numerous off-the-field problems involving players.

LSU football coach Nick Saban was a big fan of Emmert's.

Saban was hired away from Michigan State in 1999 because Emmert stepped in and stopped the quibbling between Saban’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, and LSU. “Pay him what he wants.”

He didn’t settle for a journeyman defensive assistant coach Phil Bennett, who could have been hired at bargain prices. He didn’t settle for defensive coordinator Mike Archer as Dean did after the 1986 season and found himself looking for a new coach just four years later … and another just four years later … and another just five years later.

When news broke Emmert may be going to Washington, Saban pleaded through the media for LSU to do anything it could to keep its current chancellor.

"We are obviously hopeful that the University will do everything it can to keep the chancellor here," Saban said at a press conference. "Chancellor Emmert is absolutely the best boss I've ever had. He's the most significant reason I was interested in the job. Never once has he disappointed me."

Soon after Emmert left LSU Saban left for the NFL.


Compare this to "I am the Search" never leaving Nicholson Drive: "LSU leadership apparently doesn’t trust Joe Alleva to get on a plane, go have dinner with their target, evaluate him and make the offer / seal the deal as necessary." Alleva, after losing Herman & Fisher, immediately introduced DL Coach O, rather than the promised Offensive Coach as the "permanent" HC. O's first remarks were "I want to thank my Staff led by Derek Ponamsky who worked hand-in-hand with Alleva to make this all possible".

"Les was very unceremoniously fired Sunday by his athletic director Joe Alleva. Alleva has been working towards this moment for quite some time and made his play a few weeks too early last season. When the first possible opportunity presented itself this season, Alleva rounded up the votes and did the deed. Both Bruce Feldman and Brett McMurphy would note that sources within the LSU administration told them that Alleva felt he needed to pull the trigger now while he still could in fear of Les stringing together some wins in the latter half of the season “and being stuck with Les another year”.

Nice try Dereck/Derek/Ponamsky, however like your latest Failures "Objective Evaluation of LSU Offense, Time to Kill Another Myth started on the Rant, Justin Vincent Clears Up What Happened With Travis Etienne, & CFB Film Room Debunked, among others, this too is just Prop-O-gandizing for your Boss and frankly, it is suppressing Objective discussion of Scheme/Coaching/Development needed to help LSU compete for championships. But please carry on.

Great post. Factual. Logical. Well organized.

Still though, clearly Eaux is the better coach. And it’s not close. Just look at their records.

Saban has been gone from LSU 14 years. What is this fixation on him. Why can’t people be grateful that he laid the foundation for this program. He left enough talent to have won it all in 2005, 2006 & 2007. Miles screwed the pooch in 05 & 06. Damned near blew it in 2007. I hate that Nick is at Bama, and damn grateful for what he did for LSU. Nick left the program much better than he found it. Miles left the program much worse.

The football culture at LSU had only just begun to shift when Emmert brought in Saban. If you recall, he was the one who recognized the fact that having a championship football team was a good thing for the university as a whole. As soon as Emmert left, the good ole boys took power again.

Bama is 100% committed to winning championships. Saban has carte blanche to do whatever he needs to make it happen. Since their football dynasty resumed under Saban, their university has thrived, while LSU still stumbles and bumbles along under incompetent leadership.

And Burrow would go higher in the draft than Haskins if he had declared

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That team Saban took to Blacksburg to open the '02 season was one of the sorriest,poorest prepared teams LSU has ever had to open a season.

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Possible but lets remember that Va Tech already had a game under their belt and that made a huge difference..........

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Unrealistic expectations for Coach O (from some folks)? Saban's 5 LSU seasons: 8-4 10-3 8-5 13-1 9-3 Yeah, O might beat that.

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Good, so O will win the national title next year, being his 4th year as Saban did. Nice.

Please, all the O apologists should just stop with the comparisons to Saban. Right now, O is on track to be a successful stop-gap coach while we ride out Saban's tenure and wait for Aranda to be the next HC. That's his best-case scenario and if he pulls that off, people will fondly remember O.

He will never be Saban.

You are leaving out the most important information when you mention Saban. He won the SEC and the Sugar Bowl in his second year at LSU. That's feat no one had pulled off since 1970 and he did it in his 2nd year. That year could have unraveled, but the team held together under Saban's direction and took advantage of its opportunities down the stretch.

In his fourth year, he won the SEC and the national championship, dominating most of the teams on the schedule.

He established a championship culture at LSU after a lost decade of mostly futility. That culture has diminished a litte, but O still benefits from that. He, like Miles, stands on the shoulders of Saban.

That's the legacy of Saban at LSU. So, please spare everyone your insecurity over O's legacy.