LSU football great tells hilarious story about first meeting Nick Saban

Nick Saban took over as LSU football’s head coach in 2000.

When Nick Saban took over as LSU football’s head coach in 2000, the Tigers weren’t in a very good place.

LSU was coming off its second straight losing season, which included an embarrassing road loss to Kentucky and a home loss to Houston.

The Tigers hired Nick Saban to lead the program after Gerry DiNardo was fired with one game remaining in the 1999 season.

Saban came to Baton Rouge after coaching five seasons at Michigan State and compiling a 34-24-1 record. He had also served as the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator under Bill Belichick.

Not a bad resumé, but in 2000 Saban was far from the coaching deity that he is today.

So when Saban held his first team meeting after landing the LSU gig, the players were a bit taken aback by his brash, demanding style. Saban didn’t pull any punches when assessing his new team, calling them small, slow and soft.

Former Tigers linebacker Trev Faulk, the cousin of LSU running back legend Kevin Faulk, recently told the story to WAFB’s Jacques Doucet.

Nick Saban walking into a room saying those words 20 years ago is much different than Nick Saban walking into a room and saying those words in 2020.

But the message was clearly received.

The Tigers went from winning three games in 1999 to winning eight games in 2000. Three years later, LSU claimed the BCS Championship after a win against Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.

Saban’s impact on the program is still felt today. He completely changed the culture in Baton Rouge. The Tigers haven’t had a losing season since 1999.

And it all started by Saban telling his team they sucked. Funny how a slight can ignite a fire.