Nick Saban Shares What He Told Brian Kelly About Coaching at LSU

A former leader of the Tigers himself, the seven-time national champion has a unique perspective about coaching in Baton Rouge.

Nick Saban and No. 1-ranked Alabama will kick off their 2022 season this weekend against Utah State, but ahead of the Crimson Tide’s opener, the program’s coach found himself answering a question pertaining to a different opponent: LSU.

Specifically, Saban was asked during the SEC coaches’ teleconference this week about any conversations he might’ve had with new Tigers coach Brian Kelly before he left Notre Dame for Baton Rouge. 

Saban, who led LSU from 2000 to ’04 and won a national championship in ’03, imparted some words of wisdom on his new SEC rival, but mostly focused on telling Kelly that he would do a great job.

“It’s a good job,” Saban said of LSU.  “A lot of passionate fans there. People in Louisiana are great people. I think they’ve got a great opportunity, great history, great tradition. I told him I thought he’d do an outstanding job there. … They’ve always had good personnel there and now they’ve got a great coach, not that they haven’t had great coaches in the past. I’m sure he’ll do a great job there.”

Kelly first told CBS Sports in April that he spoke to the Alabama coach about the LSU job, saying “when you can get advice and counsel from a guy like Nick Saban, he’s a good one to take it from.”

The two well-renowned coaches may be trading niceties before the start of the season, but with Week 1 just around the corner, both Kelly and Saban will have to focus on their opening opponents. Alabama begins the year against Utah State on Saturday, while Kelly will make his LSU debut on Sunday against Florida State. 

Later in the season, Saban and Kelly will go head-to-head when the two rivals meet on Nov. 5.

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