Bama reported to be offering Saban $40 mil+

Tide reportedly to make serious run at SabanESPN.com news services

Nick Saban swears he's not leaving the Dolphins to take over at Alabama. The Crimson Tide, however, aren't buying his public statements and are reportedly ready to blow Saban away with a mammoth offer.

The Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post both reported this weekend that Alabama will present an offer of at least $40 million to Saban this week, hoping to convince the former LSU coach to take over its program.

Saban is owed about $15 million in the final three years of his contract with the Dolphins.

A current Alabama assistant told ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach on Sunday morning that former coach Mike Shula's staff expects Saban to be named the Crimson Tide's new coach sometime this week.

"He's going to clean house here, top to bottom," the coach said.
An Alabama official, speaking on the condition on anonymity, said earlier this week the Crimson Tide are interested in as many as five candidates to replace Shula, but Saban was clearly the top choice. The Alabama official said the school hoped to have Shula's replacement hired by Friday, which marks the beginning of an important recruiting weekend.

Reports linking Alabama and Saban began circulating soon after the Crimson Tide fired Shula as coach in late November. Saban has repeatedly denied interest in the job.

"I'm not going to be the Alabama coach," he said last week.
Saban said he wouldn't comment on the Alabama opening anymore.
"I'm just making a rule to never comment on something like that again because every time you comment on it, it just makes for another story," Saban said. "So I'm not going to comment on it five years from now, and I'm not going to comment on it next week."

He reminded reporters of his stance after Miami's season-ending 27-22 loss to the Colts on Sunday, adding the Dolphins job is the one "I'm committed to doing well."

Saban acknowledged this month that Alabama approached his agent about its coaching job, but he declined an invitation to talk to the Crimson Tide.
Saban agreed to a five-year contract worth at least $22.5 million with Miami on Christmas Day 2004.

Saban went 48-16 in five seasons at LSU, won the 2003 BCS national championship and went 92-42-1 as a college head coach. He turned down several overtures from the NFL before leaving Baton Rouge for Miami.
LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, who worked for Saban when the Tigers won the 2003 BCS national championship, said he wasn't sure if Saban would return to college football.

"I don't know what Nick's going to do," Fisher said. "That deal over there, I don't know. I'm sitting on the edge of my seat like everyone else waiting to see what happens."

But Fisher did indirectly indicate that Saban is unhappy coaching in the NFL, where he has less control over personnel issues.

When speaking about his own job opportunities, Fisher said: "I don't want to take the wrong job and three or four years later, you're asking for the one you had." Fisher then smiled and said, "We all know that happens a lot."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2715745

Awesome college coach...would be a great score for Alabama.

This program is so embarassed right now I think they would make him President of the school if he demanded that to take the football coaching vacancy.

With a offer like that I would say he coached his last game in the NFL today.

40 mill for how long? 8 years?

He is a good coach but maybe just maybe a little overrated? Mich St did not dominate when he was there. Not at all if memory serves. He built LSU up and did well for a year or two. Miami has been mediocre also. Good luck Bama!

stuckinvegas said:

40 mill for how long? 8 years?

Click to expand...

My guess would be 8 for 5 years

$40 million???? They could buy 20 linemen with that!

When I see how hot these Belichick assistants are, it makes me happy to know that the Big Boss himself is staying in Foxboro and isn't going anywhere.

Saban, Weis, Mangini ... all big targets. The only one who has not excelled is fat Romeo.

I say he takes the offer as well...

Even should Bama sign Saban, due to his dislike of the Pro player attitudes and lack of organizational megalomaniacal grip he generally insists upon, his wife's dislike of Miami(pleaded with him to stay at LSU)..

He will find a Tubby that has five straight over Bama, and won 23 of 25 SEC games..in-state rival Auburn isn't going away with their momentum in that state..

LSU, keeps rolling in Top 5 classses of recruits after his departure, and hasn't missed a beat since he left..

Also, he will find the addition of Urban Meyer to the SEC, and return of Spurrier(whom Saban is 0-2 against)..

Make for a tougher road than many assume may be for him in T-Town, should he accept the gig.

Saban, despite never until this year having a losing season as an HC, has but one season unbeaten(at Toledo), lost three or more games per year at LSU sans the BCS title year, and much the same at MSU except the ten win team that helped land him the LSU job(and it beat Florida in the Citrus with it's future HC directing that 10th win)..

Definitely one of the better Collegiate Head Coaches in the nation should he return now, but also may wait for PSU or FSU gigs to open up in the next few years?..Vacation House in Georgia suggests Bama or FSU?..West Virginia roots suggest possible PSU handoff from JoePa?

Wherever he lands in the next three to five years, will probably be his last stop, and he will put in a solid ten-plus year run there.

excellent post horseshoe, very insightful and thought out.

some coaches belong in the college ranks...he is one of them....great move towards bringing the Tide back to one of the tops of the SEC