Ever thought you’d live to see the day Nick Saban might stroll back into Baton Rouge? Well, buckle up, because that wild thought might not be all that far-fetched anymore. LSU, fresh off firing its fourth-year HC with six seasons still left on a ten-year deal, is once again at the center of college football chaos. Even Louisiana’s own governor, Jeff Landry, couldn’t resist the drama, quipping that he’d rather have Donald Trump lead the coaching search than LSU’s AD, Scott Woodward before he stepped down. Things are that desperate down in Death Valley. But here’s where it gets spicy.

In an X post that instantly lit up every SEC group chat, ESPN+ broadcaster Patrick Netherton dropped this bomb on October 31. “From my Baton Rouge “sources” (take with heavy grain of salt): Nick Saban flew into BR earlier this week, was offered $20m/yr for 3 years. Gets to handpick his successor and becomes AD after the 3 years is up. Going to talk it over with Miss Terri,” he wrote. Twenty million dollars a year, plus a promise of ultimate control and a cushy athletic director role to boot! LSU’s basically dangling the keys to the kingdom, and the only thing standing in the way might be the legendary Miss Terry Saban herself.

Nick Saban’s ties with LSU makes him an intriguing choice. Before Tuscaloosa turned him into a living dynasty, Baton Rouge was where it all began. He rebuilt LSU from the ashes, delivering a 2003 BCS title and a 48–16 record from 2000 to 2004. He reignited the Tiger swagger. That’s why the idea of his homecoming hits differently. LSU is the house he built. And if he’s truly considering it, it’s because it tugs at something deeper than money.

Just ask ESPN analyst Todd McShay, who stirred the pot three days earlier. “LSU is going to make an offer to Nick and Miss Terry that will force them to reconsider,” he teased on his podcast, adding that both are loving life working for ESPN and ABC these days. But when $60 million and a kingmaker role land on your lap, can retirement feel negotiable? Nick Saban’s pulling in around $500,000 in his advisory role at Alabama, and probably more at ESPN. Yet, if LSU’s dangling nine figures and the chance to handpick his legacy, that’s almost like a dare. And just when speculation started running wild, he stepped in to add his own perspective.

Nick Saban speaks out on LSU’s chaos

When asked about the Baton Rouge circus during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show Friday, Nick Saban gave the most Saban answer imaginable. “In the NFL, everything’s vertically integrated in one building,” he said. “The rules are clearly defined by the league as what you can and can’t do. Whether it’s salary caps, contracts, whatever it is.” Then he threw in college football for comparison saying it’s the opposite. “Everything is happening externally… so you’ve got all these external factors that are constantly changing… so traditionally, how have you been able to adapt to that?”

Then came the kicker. “Some of the traditional jobs, like LSU, that people look at as one of the best jobs, have they adapted to all of these things?” Nick Saban mused. With how much things have changed, the GOAT is questioning whether the empire he once built can still stand in today’s wild west of college football. And that’s the paradox. LSU’s looking to its past to fix its future. 

But if Nick Saban does return, it’ll be a statement that college football’s greatest architect still has one last rebuild in him. Until Miss Terry gives the green light, though, Baton Rouge waits hopefully, desperately.