Nick Saban to Notre Dame?

Submitted by k06em01 on

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/295997-breaking-news-nick-saban-cont… - I know it's bleacher report, but google Nick Saban to Notre Dame and there's two pages of crap like this.

This rumor is scary. I remember hearing a couple of years ago that Saban was looking into the possibility of returning to LSU because his wife hated Alabama so much (go figure). The rumor goes that ND is simply going after the very best, has targeted Saban, and will be heading down there with a blank check.

MichiganMan_24_

December 1st, 2009 at 5:10 PM ^

Im sure you could google "Jesus 2 Notre Dame" and something would come up right now ... Cowher,Gruden,Dungy when does reality set in ? ... these guys are not going there

Blue In NC

December 1st, 2009 at 5:11 PM ^

Great fit. Saban can sign 35 guys each recruiting class and then use ND's tough admissions standards to weed out the dozen he decides to discard each year.

HelloHeisman91

December 1st, 2009 at 5:13 PM ^

Saban has proved he will follow the money. However, he left State because he knew MSU will always be second fiddle in this state and had zero chance to win a national championship here. His last two college jobs have been at places he could win and not have his hands tied. ND would make things harder for him but if the check had enough zeros I could see Saban making the move.

NickUmich

December 1st, 2009 at 5:14 PM ^

There is a better chance that Charlie Weis is re-hired as the Notre Dame football coach than Nick Saban being hired. You know what else is more likely to happen?..."a golfer with an arm growing out of his ass."

jtmc33

December 1st, 2009 at 5:15 PM ^

No Way. Saban is 100% Crimson... and 20% Dolphin, and 20% LSU Tiger, and 20% Spartan.

Anyway, $aban wouldn't leave 'Bama because it's so high profile. Only a nationally recognized in$titution with a $ucce$$ful alumni ba$e (and a really big NBC tv contract) would be able to convince him otherwi$e.

UMxWolverines

December 1st, 2009 at 5:15 PM ^

Lol he was "looking to return to LSU because his wife hated Alabama so much". Like you can just switch coaching jobs whenever you feel like it! Wait, never mind, he does do that!

bacon1431

December 1st, 2009 at 5:18 PM ^

I'm not even sure Saban would be successful at Notre Dame. He's been able to make a living in the SEC because they have much lower standards than the Big 10 or prestigious academic schools (such as ND). He'd have to change his recruiting a bit and it'd be tough getting all the players he was able to get at LSU and Bama.

bronxblue

December 1st, 2009 at 5:48 PM ^

I agree. Saban would be hamstrung by the ND admissions office, which seems to be the one consistent thread between all of the high-profile coaches passing on the job (e.g. Meyer, Stoops, etc.). It is not that the kids they have at OU or UF are idiots are unable to qualify at similarly-ranked academic schools (like UM, UVa, UCLA, etc.), but ND still believes they are closer to Harvard than UM and Northwestern when it comes to academics.

Lots of athletes come from environments that are not conducive to strong standardized test scores, but once they arrive in college prove to be average-to-good students simply because of a chance of venue. It seems that ND doesn't realize this, and it leaves that at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting top-notch kids.

Tha Stunna

December 1st, 2009 at 8:04 PM ^

Standardized test scores have little effect on admissions. The best quantitative evidence we have is the old U of M policy, where the whole SAT was worth 12 points and a realistic student would probably change their scores by at most 3-4 points (out of ~100 needed) if they went crazy studying as opposed to doing a one and done on the test with no preparation. Other factors are far more important, like GPA (80 points) and financial/ethnic background (20 points).

It's foolish to state that ND is too foolish to admit weaker students. They have their reasons for wanting academically strong students, and quite frankly some of the athletes at U of M would not be able to handle the course load without help, even without considering football. Where a school draws the line is up to them, and there's no need to criticize ND for having high standards.

bronxblue

December 3rd, 2009 at 2:35 PM ^

I'm not criticizing ND for having high standards; I am criticizing this notion that somehow ND athletes are "better" because of ND's high admission standards. There are many ND players who would have a hard time qualifying for the school if they were not athletes, which is true at a number of high-ranking academic institutions that field competitive D1 programs. And when they are admitted, they do receive assistance via tutors, advisors, mandatory study desk, etc. I'm fine with that - they are tackling significant responsibilities both on and off the field, and if they need assistance then so be it. Non-athlete students have many of the same resources as athletes (study halls, tutors, office hours, etc.), and many of them would suffer academically without these resources.

People do not believe that every player on Stanford's football team would have gained admission to the school without their athletic prowess being factored in. The same goes for UM, USC, UVa, UNC, NW, etc. - all top-notch schools that probably consider factors beyond just transcripts when admitting athletes. As you mentioned, ethnic and financial background, group involvement, and other non-academic factors should be considered when admitting individuals.

My issue with ND is that on one hand they profess to wanting to compete for MNCs and maintain they elite status in college sports, but also demand their athletes to be elite in the classroom. I'm not sure that is possible anymore, nor is it consistent with ND's earlier practices. I remember reading an interview with Jerome Bettis some years ago that stated he would not have qualified to attend ND (as other players he knew) without being an athlete. He still graduated with reasonable marks and obviously succeeded in life. ND seems to be far too caught up in holding onto some mythical relic of a bygone era that never existed, one in which every Golden Domer was a gentleman, a scholar, and an great football player. It is the high-horse mentality that drives me crazy, and I think it will continue to plague ND's "return to glory."

kdhoffma

December 1st, 2009 at 5:45 PM ^

the perfect fit. He's treated like a god there... they'll pay him anything to keep him around... plus he has more room to skirt academic/ncaa rules in the SEC than anywhere else in the country.

I could only see him leaving for a nicer physical location (Fl, SoCal)... certainly not Indiana.

PSALM 23 Rod N…

December 1st, 2009 at 9:59 PM ^

Meant Blind Side. Typed too fast on way to sons's baseball game. Mrs. Tuohy thought Saban was "Hot." I thought it was sort of funny/ironic he was at LSU in the movie.....

(Perhaps I was thinking Blind Spot, based on Tiger Woods. As I had just typed that I can outdrive Tiger Woods. I heard his wife used a Rescue Club to break the windows)

spam and beans

December 1st, 2009 at 5:53 PM ^

1. Alabama is more prestigious than Notre Dame
2. Alabama pays more than Notre Dame, and will be willing to pay even more to keep him.
3. Saban left Michigan State to go south (geographically), not south as in quality of football program.
4. Saban is already competing for National Championships. Why start over?
5. At Notre Dame, a coach has to atleast pretend to be upright and honest. Alabama boosters don't care, just win.
6. Saban is already royalty in Tuscaloosa. We are talking serious job security. (Hard to find in college football) Do you think Notre Dame is gonna be quick to extend another ten year contract?

spam and beans

December 1st, 2009 at 6:42 PM ^

Part of Tuberville's problem was he didn't know his own mind. He brought in a new OC to run a spread O. Didn't stick with him for very long at all. Tried to get the OC to change philosophy, OC quit. Tuberville spent the rest of the time going back and forth on running the spread, not running the spread. If you can't make up your own mind, somebody else will make it up for you.

SysMark

December 1st, 2009 at 10:15 PM ^

Their blank check is going be even scarier after the one they hand Weis on his way out but I'm sure they can handle it, especially if the alumni pick up part or all of Charlie's. This could make RR look like a bargain.

Wide Open

December 1st, 2009 at 6:52 PM ^

"I'm not going anyplace where they have a mural of some guy outside the stadium who's not me. How many national championships has he won? Does he even have anything to do with football?

"I don't have time for that shit."

- Nick Satan, Alabama coach

EZMIKEP

December 1st, 2009 at 7:50 PM ^

A former Spartan as the HC of ND??! Hell yes. I would get to see Sparty get beat down every year by them and they also would be legitimate & bring exposure to us up here. Also I would love beating Nick Saban's ass, telling that bastard -nice try but coming back to another team up here didn't guarantee anything. Don't be scared by a good coach coming here. It will only help i the long run. I never look forward to getting beat by anyone, but I will take a loss here and there if its by a legit opponent as long as we are on the overall winning side of things. I want somebody I can't stand running ND, because its ND.

Steve in PA

December 1st, 2009 at 10:08 PM ^

They'll either get a has been big name (Think spurier) or they are going to get someone with a decent resume but not as much star power (Sweatervest). I put a lot of credibility into the arguments that they just cannot afford a big name.

They owe fatass $18M according to some reports. A big name is going to want between 3 and 4 per year, plus the assistants aren't cheap.

Right now the ND replacement list is no different than my kids' Christmas lists. They aren't getting a lot of what they want, but on Christmas day they'll still be happy. Same with ND.

Jinxed

December 2nd, 2009 at 12:57 AM ^

Gary Patterson would probably be a better option.. although it seems like he just signed a contract extension..

I honestly think they'll probably get Kelly... I'm just hoping that Herbie screws it up like he did with Les.. (although that was probably a favor in disguise)