ESPN is reporting that LSU’s Nick Saban has agreed to become the new coach of the Miami Dolphins, with a contract withsome $25 million over 5 years. Saban, who toiled under Bill Belichick as Cleveland’s defensive coordinator in the early ’90’s, won a national championship with LSU in 2003, and signed a 7 year extension a year ago while being pursued by the Chicago Bears. So presumably, Louisiana State are due some form of compensation.
(Coach Lou flings his headset aloft after learning that he’s just won Vanilla Ice’s Jet Ski at a police auction)
Saban is supposedly being guaranteed that he’ll full control of the Dolphins organization, which is great news as perhaps now someone can explain what Dan Mariano was doing for those 3 weeks he had a front office job last year. What is surprising, however, is that Saban took the Miami job. He’s going from crazy job security in a college program where he’s beloved by most, to a high pressure, 100-hour a week position with a team that seems at least 2 years away from mediocrity. Though Saban has enough experience in the pros to guarantee he won’t be out of his depth ala say, Steve Spurrier, it would be an understatement to say the former Michigan State and Toledo coach will have his work cut out for him.