re: SEC Mythbusters: Saban did not build LSU

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I don't know why some LSU fans can't accept the fact that Saban was very good to and for LSU. Now, with that said, LSU was very good for Saban and his career just as much as he was good to LSU. What most people don't understand is that Mark Emmert had just as much, if not more, to do with LSU's success as Saban did. Emmert was hired in 1999 and he recognized that LSU needed a strong football program to help build the overall strength of the university. Emmert fired Joe Dean and hand picked Nick Saban as the next football coach at LSU. Emmert is the one who raised the money to hire Saban and pay for a first class team of asst. coaches. Saban did his homework and understood the recruiting base of LA and how most LA recruits weren't staying home to play. Emmert is the one how put all the wheels in motion to raise all the hundreds of millions of dollars to build new football facilities. Saban, to his credit, understood what facilities needed to be built to attract elite prospects. While other schools spent all their money on football stadiums, Saban understood what facilities truly attracted elite prospects and those are the ones that the players use every single day, so that's what LSU spent their money on.(football ops center, athletic academic center, indoor practice facility, student-athlete housing, weight room, etc.,etc. Emmert was also smart enough to give Saban full power to run the football program and keep the meddling boosters at bay. Bama, to their credit, did the same when they hired him. LSU, to their credit, have kept that power structure in place and have allowed Miles to run the football program without meddling boosters to interfere.

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