Former NBA star and LSU basketball player Shaquille O’Neal ignited a firestorm in the college football world following his interview with Us Weekly.
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O’Neal suggested that former Tigers head coach Nick Saban had conversations with LSU amid the program’s national coaching search.
“I heard through the grapevine that they were having conversations with Nick Saban,” O’Neal said in an article published Wednesday. “That’d be awesome if we can bring Nick back.”
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Saban retired from coaching college football after the 2023 season. He won seven national championships, including the 2003 title with LSU. Since he retired from Alabama, Saban has been adamant that he does not want to return to the sidelines as a head coach.
On Tuesday, LSU interim athletic director Verge Ausberry addressed the rumor of Saban’s possible return to Baton Rouge during an appearance with Matt Moscona of ESPN 104.5.
“Nick Saban and I have a standing conversation probably every two to three weeks,” Ausberry said. “We’re good friends, first of all. A person that I admire a lot. And coach Saban was joking. No way he’s coming back to football, okay? Miss Terry’s not gonna let him.
“That’s not gonna happen. Let’s get that out of the way soon, because if he was and he was interested, I would go drive and pick him up right now and bring him back.”
It doesn’t appear likely Saban will take the open job with LSU. However, the Tigers certainly have an interest in the 74-year-old coach if he wants a chance to come back and eventually claim 300 victories at the college level.
Ausberry said his conversations with Saban have been helpful to the program, as he’s been able to share insight about what type of infrastructure would better help the next hire.
Saban went 48-16 during his five seasons with the Tigers. He’s 292-71-1 as a head coach during his stints with Toledo, Michigan State, LSU and Alabama.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
