Nick Saban Admits His Biggest Coaching Regret: Leaving LSU for NFL
Nick Saban, the legendary college football coach, recently revealed his biggest coaching regret was leaving LSU for the Miami Dolphins in 2004. In an interview on “The Pivot,” Saban admitted that his decision to leave the Tigers, where he won a national championship, was a mistake.
“I think sometimes you have to learn about yourself,” Saban said. “And you might think things… When I left LSU, that was probably ‘professionally’ the biggest mistake that I ever made.”
Saban coached the Dolphins for two seasons before returning to college football at Alabama, where he won six national championships. He said he enjoyed coaching in Miami but found that he prefers coaching college players, as he can develop them more personally, academically, and athletically.
Saban also revealed that his agent, Jimmy Sexton, asked him if he wanted to be like legendary coaches Bear Bryant or Vince Lombardi in terms of his legacy. Saban said he answered that he wanted to be like Bryant, but ultimately chose to leave LSU for the NFL anyway.
Saban’s stint in the NFL is often seen as the only blemish on his otherwise impressive coaching resume. Despite his regrets, Saban is widely regarded as one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, with 292 wins and six national championships under his belt.
