Nick Saban names No. 1 head coaching job in college football

Nick Saban is widely regarded as the greatest head coach in college football history.

As a college head coach, he won seven claimed FBS national championships (LSU 2003; Alabama 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020), the most in FBS history, along with 11 SEC titles.

Saban was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2025 and finished his college coaching career with a 297-71-1 record (.806), the fifth-most wins all time, with stops at Toledo, Michigan State, LSU, and Alabama.

While he is most closely associated with Alabama’s unprecedented dynasty, one that produced multiple Heisman Trophy winners and a steady pipeline of NFL talent, Saban’s first national title came at LSU in 2003, establishing him as a force before his historic run in Tuscaloosa.

On Tuesday, reports indicated that LSU’s new head coach, Lane Kiffin, said it was Saban’s personal advice that ultimately sealed his decision to leave Oxford for Baton Rouge, with Saban urging him to take what he described as “the best job in the country.”

"When I called Coach Saban and talked it through with him, he said: 'You know, Lane, you'll always regret if you don't go to LSU — it's the best job in the country.'"

After quickly rising through the college ranks as an offensive assistant, most notably serving as a position coach and offensive coordinator at USC, he became the NFL’s youngest head coach when he took over the Oakland Raiders from 2007 to 2008, going 5–15 during an underwhelming stint at the professional level.

He then returned to college football with a one-year stop as Tennessee’s head coach in 2009, followed by a four-year run at USC from 2010 to 2013, this time as the head coach.

Kiffin later joined Saban’s Alabama staff as offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2016, before rebuilding Florida Atlantic as head coach from 2017 to 2019.

His most successful stretch, however, came over six seasons at Ole Miss, where he posted a 55–19 overall record, produced three straight double-digit win seasons, the most in program history, and elevated the Rebels into College Football Playoff contention.

LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin. — LSU head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at the South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

However, Kiffin left Ole Miss on Nov. 30, 2025, and was introduced as LSU’s head coach one day later after agreeing to a seven-year, $91 million deal to become the Tigers’ next head coach.

At his LSU introductory press conference and in subsequent public remarks, Kiffin repeatedly referred to LSU as “the best job in football” and said that people he consulted, including Saban, told him he would regret passing on the opportunity.

Kiffin also cited the program’s resources, tradition, recruiting base, and institutional alignment as core factors in his decision.

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