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The LSU coaching search has the college football world buzzing, especially after Shaquille O’Neal dropped a bombshell about Nick Saban possibly returning to Baton Rouge. Shaq, the NBA legend who dominated the court for the Tigers from 1989-92, created a stir with his recent comments.
“I heard through the grapevine that they were talking with Nick Saban,” O’Neal told Us Weekly. “That’d be awesome if we can bring Nick back.”
LSU’s interim athletic director Verge Ausberry quickly shut down the speculation.
“Nick Saban and I talk every few weeks,” Ausberry explained on 104.5 ESPN. “We’re good friends, first of all. He’s someone I really admire. Coach Saban was joking. No way he’s coming back to football, okay? Miss Terry’s not going to let him. That’s not happening. Let’s clear that up right now, because if he was interested, I’d drive down there and pick him up myself.”
Tiger fans remember Saban’s first stint in Baton Rouge fondly. The 74-year-old coached LSU from 2000-04, delivering a national championship before heading to the NFL. He later built a dynasty at Alabama starting in 2007, collecting six more national titles before hanging up his whistle in 2023.
Saban himself addressed the coaching rumors during ESPN’s College GameDay last weekend.
The Modern Coaching Landscape
“You’ve got all these external factors constantly changing,” Saban noted. “Whether it’s the transfer portal, how much you can pay guys, revenue sharing, what kind of collective do you have? So, traditionally, how have you been able to adapt to that? Some of the traditional jobs, like LSU, that people always looked at as one of the best jobs, have they adapted to all these things like they need to to continue to be one of the best jobs in the country?”
He later made it clear: he’s not coming back to coaching.
The Tigers are hunting for a new leader after firing Brian Kelly on October 26 following a disappointing 5-3 start to his third season. Kelly compiled a 34-14 record and reached one SEC Championship Game, but never got LSU into the College Football Playoff mix — a minimum expectation for a program with three national titles since 2003.
The coaching change triggered a power shift in Baton Rouge.
Athletic Director Scott Woodward resigned amid the shakeup, reportedly after losing support from key LSU stakeholders — including Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who’s taken an active interest in the athletic department’s direction.
Shaq, like many Tiger fans, is preaching patience during the search.
“We’re just gonna sit and see who they choose,” he said. “I know it’ll definitely be a winner and someone who fits our culture. I’m confident they’ll bring in somebody who’s going to get us back to winning. We all know if you lose more than two games at LSU, we don’t get into a major bowl game.”
The pressure to find the right coach intensifies as LSU navigates the remainder of its season under interim leadership.
