Giving Saban credit for anything is asking a lot... besides, it wasn't all Saban. Didn't he win a NC here with another coaches players?
Saban stood on Dinardos shoulders. He did do great things and changed much for the better, but Gerry D rekindled the fire and raised expectations again with his "Bring back the Magic". He started the fence that Saban finished and Miles keeps holding in the top recruits. Dinardo failed to finish the job and in a way so did Nick as he left after a down year both in record and recruiting. Saban was very good but not everything.
Like I said he deserves plenty of credit. If people want to deny that it's the same as those denying les his due. Just quit making those who know, admit it. At least not this week. It's sacrilege.
If Gerry DiNardo was a great coach why was he fired mid-season? Then, Saban comes in starting in 2000 and loses to the Alabama-Birmingham Blazers.
DiNardo was a great recruiter. Many of the guys that Saban inherited had very successful pro careers. The cupboard was not bare at all. That, along with restoring some sort of excitement for LSU football, are DiNardo's important legacy. Saban built us up and went on to win our 2nd national championship. I don't miss him. His personality, or lack thereof, was tiresome, as was the incessant talk of him taking a pro job--which he up and did after the lackluster season following his national championship. Miles has kept us rolling, and I feel like his personality is well-suited to be the coach @ LSU--where there are so many crazy, Louisiana bastards as fans. The problem is that half of those crazy bastards think they are in love with Saban.
Didn't say he was a great coach...in fact he was greatly flawed. That doesn't change the fact he started the revival on LSU football.
Saban did alot for us but if miles wasnt a good coach we would be having 6-6 seasons by now not averaging 11 wins a season remember Saban won 2 national titles 3 years after he got there just like miles did
