The LSU football program is currently searching for its next head coach following the departure of Brian Kelly via firing. The Tigers have once again performed well below expectations this year, opening the door for the team to finally move on from the Kelly era after a few disastrous years.
Recently, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal claimed that he heard “through the grapevine” that LSU was talking to their former head coach Nick Saban about the job opening.
However, interim athletic director Verge Ausberry has since shot down that speculation.
“Nick Saban and I have a standing conversation probably every two to three weeks,” Ausberry said, per ESPN 104.5 Baton Rouge, via Rashad Milligan and Wilson Alexander of NOLA.com. “We’re good friends, first of all, and a person that I admire a lot …‘No way he’s coming back to football, OK?’ Mrs. Terry’s not going to let him. So, that’s not going to happen. Let’s get that out the way soon. If he was and he was interested, I’d go drive over there and pick him up right now and bring him back.”
Saban was previously the head coach of the Tigers, leading them to the national championship in 2003 before winning six more titles as the head coach at the University of Alabama.
A big decision for LSU
Meanwhile, with Saban now apparently out of the picture, the LSU football program is looking for ways to salvage something out of a 2025 season that has been a major disappointment thus far.
While a win over the Clemson Tigers in Week 1 gave LSU fans a bit of false hope, that game was quickly proven to be nothing particularly impressive as Clemson's season freefalled from there.
Meanwhile, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has performed well below his Heisman Trophy expectations entering the year, and the Tigers' defense has also fallen off after a relatively strong start.
In any case, up next for LSU is a road game against Alabama on Saturday evening.
