Nick Saban encourages LSU to go after previous recruits in transfer portal after Brian Kelly firing

It’s been a tumultuous week for LSU. The school parted ways with head coach Brian Kelly on Sunday and then with athletic director Scott Woodward on Thursday.

Led by interim AD Verge Ausberry and its new president (who will be announced on Tuesday), the program will conduct its first nationwide coaching search since Kelly was hired prior to the 2022 season. Ahead of that search, former LSU head coach and college football legend Nick Saban offered some advice to the program and whoever it brings on as its new head coach.

Saban, who won a National Championship at LSU in 2003, discussed the importance of keeping up with players that you may have lost in recruiting. In today’s day and age of the Transfer Portal, you’ve never truly lost a player if you can get him back with one phone call and a blank check.

“I think that’s a great strategy,” Saban said. “If you’re in a place that historically has a lot of good players coming out of high school, if that guy went to another school, I would track that guy’s career from day one. That’s because eventually, you can get him back. Bring him back. If you lose the first time, get him the second time.

“And you might be better off because he might have developed a little bit and he could be more ready to play and more mature. So, I would definitely do that and that’s definitely something LSU should do like Texas did (with Quinn Ewers).”

Nick Saban denied rumors pertaining to a return to coaching

With the opening at LSU, many have brought up Saban’s name as Brian Kelly‘s potential replacement. This includes NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay (who predicted that LSU will make Saban reconsider retirement) and CBS Sports‘ Bryant McFadden (who described Saban as being a whale in a pond of fish when it came to LSU‘s coaching search), just to name a few.

During last Friday’s appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show‘ however, Saban made it clear. He is enjoying retirement and his role as a panelist on ESPN‘s College GameDay every Saturday.

“No way,” Saban responded when asked if he’d think about coming out of retirement. “I have so much fun working with you (directed at Pat McAfee). Why would I go do that?”

With high-profile names such as Ole Miss‘ Lane Kiffin, Notre Dame‘s Marcus Freeman, Georgia Tech‘s Brent Key, Louisville‘s Jeff Brohm and Tulane‘s Jon Sumrall floated as candidates for the job, it will be extremely interesting who LSU‘s search firm decides on.