Nick Saban names head coach 'first up' to replace Brian Kelly at LSU

Legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban explains why the LSU job doesn't have advantages it once did, says Tigers could have trouble pulling in guy he believes is their top option

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban greets LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly | John David Mercer-Imagn Images

As part of a conversation with On3 college football reporter Chris Low, Hall of Fame college football coach Nick Saban touched on the recently opened LSU job and discussed their very likely first call.

Saban knows well how great the LSU job is but even he admitted that in the modern era, a historic program and the advantages that come with such a standing may no longer matter as much as they did when he as at the helm for the Tigers. In turn, Nick Saban believes LSU could have a tougher time nowadays in plucking an elite coach from a job that's only a step or two beneath them. Like, say, an Ole Miss, just for a random example, right?

“Jobs that weren’t great jobs before are now,” Saban told On3. “Lane is the first name up for Florida and the first name up for LSU, but I think you can have a long debate on whether either one of those jobs is actually better than the job he has now because he has some guys over there at Ole Miss that give him pretty much whatever he wants from a roster standpoint."

With Kiffin as well-entrenched as he is in Oxford and able to build a Playoff-caliber roster that could keep him occupied deep into January, his candidacy at Florida or LSU could be in danger. But as Nick Saban and the rest of us know, LSU is still very likely to make a hefty offer, and Florida could as well.

"So, you look at these jobs differently now," added Saban. "Yeah, maybe you’ve got facilities. Maybe you’ve got money. Maybe you’ve got alumni who are passionate about football, but are they willing to invest what you have to invest now to win? Because a lot of people don’t believe in this (stuff).”

Circling back to the point Nick Saban made a further up, LSU hasn't necessarily proven they can win at a top-10 level in the last several seasons, whereas, for whatever you want to say about the history of the programs, Ole Mis has supplied Lane Kiffin with the players he's needed to get right on the brink of the CFP — and barring collapse, the Rebels are storming into the field this season.

Ole Miss just took care of business on the road at Oklahoma to earn yet another ranked win to advance to 7-1 with arguably the strongest resume in the SEC alongside Texas A&M and Alabama.