Nick Saban is persona non grata around these parts.Everyone knows the story.Once upon a time, Saban was the football coach at LSU. He returned the program from the dark ages of the 1990s to national prominence by going 48-16 in his five seasons here, winning one BCS title and two Southeastern Conference championships.His successes at the college level afforded him the opportunity to receive high-level suitors.The Miami Dolphins came a-calling, and on a fateful day in December 2004, Saban bolted for the NFL.After two pretty disastrous seasons in Miami, Saban lied about taking and then eventually took the job as the savior of Alabama football — their next “Bear” Bryant, just like those before him.This “betrayal” was seen by many Tiger fans as the ultimate slap in the face.Some cleverly designed shirts give a big “F you” to Saban if you fold them correctly, and others simply say, “Nick Saban is a douche.”Last year a Saban effigy was burned near campus.These are some of the brilliant ideas of Tiger fans who want to show the Alabama coach how they feel.How could Saban spit in the faces of Tiger fans by taking a job with one of our most hated rivals, they asked.The simple answer: He didn’t.Saban did what he felt was best for his career, like any coach would have done.It’s time for LSU fans to grow up and stop acting like whiny children any time Saban or the Crimson Tide are mentioned, because they’ve got a “damn strong” coach here at LSU.Les Miles replaced Saban in 2005 and has made a name for himself at LSU.It could actually be argued Miles is doing just as well, if not better, than Saban would be doing if he were still at LSU.Both coaches are considered among the elite in college football, and LSU fans wanting Saban back is pretty disrespectful to Miles and shows a lack of commitment to his efforts from the fan base.  I don’t even know why anyone would want Saban back over Miles anyway.The idea Saban was a perfect coach at LSU who dismantled all of his opponents and never had teams who struggled like Miles’ teams is largely a myth formed by revisionist historians with an agenda.Saban only had one season at LSU during which he lost less than three games.His bowl record as the Tigers’ coach was 3-2, which is respectable but less than spectacular.Saban wasn’t that great — and most certainly more average than some people would have you believe.In his return to college football, he still hasn’t done anything worthy of the praise most give him.His team finished 7-6 in his first season at Alabama, lost to Louisiana-Monroe at home and barely squeaked out a win against Colorado in the Independence Bowl.The Tide started out 12-0 in his second season before falling to Florida in the SEC championship game and getting embarrassed against Utah in the Sugar Bowl.On the flip side, Miles has only one season in his five in which he’s had more than two losses.When LSU was plagued by inconsistent quarterback play and terrible defensive coaching last season, the Tigers were still able to win eight games — a win total Saban’s teams achieved twice.Granted, on Saban’s behalf, those eight-win seasons did not see his Tigers have a losing conference record like Miles’ eight-win season.
Miles is one win away from No. 50 as LSU’s coach and has proven it’s about time for people to stop mentioning Saban the way they do.Miles won at least 11 games each of his first three seasons at LSU, went to the SEC championship game twice with one win and won LSU’s third national title.Miles also has a 4-0 record in bowl games as the Tigers’ head coach.This is not to say one coach is definitively better than the other or one team will come out victorious Saturday afternoon. But it’s interesting to consider and perhaps serves as a dose of reality for the disillusioned.The coaches both have one win in the head-to-head matchup, and each is still in line for a national title spot depending on the outcome of the tiebreaker this weekend.It’s about time for LSU fans to give up the Saban hate and get fully behind Miles as he tries to beat Alabama this weekend.Johanathan Brooks is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Powder Springs, Ga. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_jbrooks.—Contact Johanathan Brooks at [email protected]