Former Alabama coach turned ESPN analyst Nick Saban has experienced life at the top of college football and built his legacy on dynasties. Before heading to the NFL, he was at LSU and was the first of three coaches to win a national championship in Baton Rouge.
Saban was asked by [On3's Chris Low](https://www.on3.com/news/is-lsu-the-best-job-in-america-nick-saban-says-it-depends-on-how-much-money-you-can-spend-on-the-roster/) about whether LSU remains one of the top destinations for college football coaches. Being removed from the mix allows for a more direct and candid answer.
“That’s changed dramatically, the whole question of what constitutes the best job,” Saban told On3.
“What used to make a job great was facilities, fan support, good academic support, recruiting base and being able to create value for the players. Now that has been minimized to how much money do you have to spend on building a roster. That is the most important thing by far.”
LSU thrived in those areas and rivals Alabama. But the expectations are sky-high given the amount of resources to accommodate one of the traditional powers.
Brian Kelly’s $54 million dismissal puts a spotlight back on the program in a different era of college football. Being able to pay players will be a game-changer for the right coach.
With Lane Kiffin being top on the list, what will come if he does leave Oxford? Saban said what Kiffin has built at Ole Miss is proof that this is the "New World Order in terms of coaching jobs."
“Jobs that weren’t great jobs before are now,” Saban said. “Lane is the first name up for Florida and the first name up for LSU, but I think you can have a long debate on whether either one of those jobs is actually better than the job he has now.
"Because he has some guys over there at Ole Miss that give him pretty much whatever he wants from a roster standpoint. He may not necessarily have the same thing at Florida or LSU. So you look at these jobs differently now."
However, LSU’s financials and regional dominance makes it one of the sport’s most appealing destinations. We'll see if Kiffin agrees and takes a leap in his career to be in Baton Rouge.
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