Nick Saban sits on the ESPN College Gameday set prior to the NCAA football game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In a moment that occurred on the balcony outside of former LSU athletic director Skip Bertman’s office, then-Tigers head football coach Nick Saban made a decision two decades ago that he still hasn’t lived down.

After five seasons, including one National Championship victory, Saban moved on from LSU to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins on Christmas Day 2004. A choice he regrets to this day.

“When I left LSU, that was probably professionally the biggest mistake that I ever made,” Saban said on The Pivot. “Not because we didn’t have success in Miami because I enjoyed coaching in Miami. But I found out in that experience that I like coaching in college better because you could develop players personally, academically, athletically and all that a little more than pro ball. Even though I loved the status of coaching in pro football and the kind of guys you coach––and you’re coaching in the best league against the best players––I loved all of that.

“So then I can’t go back to LSU, go to Alabama, and no disrespect to Alabama, it’s not Alabama vs. LSU it’s just [sports agent] Jimmy Sexton stood on the balcony when I was getting ready to leave LSU and make a decision about whether I went to Miami or stayed at LSU. He said ‘What do you want your legacy to be as a coach? Do you want to be Vince Lombardi or do you want to be Bear Bryant?’ And without hesitation, I said ‘Bear Bryant.’ And he said ‘What are you doing going to Miami then?’…but I went anyway.”

As previously stated, Saban was hired to coach the Dolphins for the 2005 season and he remained in that position through the 2006 season. But on Nov. 27, 2006, the University of Alabama announced the firing of head coach Mike Shula.

Saban was rumored to be the top candidate for the Alabama job but kept denying it and refused to talk about it for quite some time. But on Jan. 3, 2007, Saban accepted the Crimson Tide’s offer.

Saban led Alabama to six National Championships (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020) and 11 Southeastern Conference titles. He also oversaw the program’s first four Heisman Trophy winners in Mark Ingram, Derrick Henry, DeVonta Smith and Bryce Young.

On Jan. 10, he retired from coaching with a college record of 292-71-1 with 201 of those victories coming at the University of Alabama. The 73-year-old was known as a prolific recruiter, having gone 16 consecutive seasons with a top-five recruiting class according to 247Sports. Saban produced 47 NFL first-round draft picks during his tenure at the Capstone after no players were drafted at all from the program he initially took over in 2007.