How Did Les Miles and Nick Saban Become Coaches at LSU [PHOTOS]

If you've heard this one before please stop me. There are two football coaches, Les Miles and Nick Saban, and they love for their teams play in games that pertain to championships.

This Saturday night their paths cross again at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana as the #5 LSU Tigers face the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban once coached the LSU Tigers, so he knows all about Death Valley.

Back in 1999 time came for LSU coach Gerry DiNardo to leave the Tigers and former personnel boss of the Dallas Cowboys, Gil Brandt, called Saban at Michigan State and told him there was an opening in Baton Rouge.

It wasn't long before Joe Dean, the LSU athletic director, got a call telling informing him of Saban's interest in LSU.

Nick Sabin wanted to move to baton Rouge for two reasons:

1) LSU was sitting in best recruiting area in the U.S., but where Saban was, the Michigan the Wolverines were already #1 and the Spartans were #2.

2) Saban said, "I can win national championships at LSU".

Saban signed a five-year contract worth $1.25 million a year and spent 5 years at LSU winning one championship left for the NFL to coach the Miami Dolphins, and there stood LSU's new head coach, at his first press conference.

Someone in the media said of Les Miles, "That guy smiled more in 30 minutes than Nick did in five years.'' Nobody had any idea what Les Miles might say next, "I'm relatively honest, but somewhat deceptive,'' he once said it

with a straight face.

Skip Bertman was LSU's athletic director at the time, and after asking around about Miles, decided Les was perfect for the job.

Bertman was impressed with Miles' 2-2 record against Oklahoma in his four years at Oklahoma State.

While Saban coached the Miami Dolphins for 2 years, in Tiger Stadium, it was like the crystal football was passed to Miles.

Today, Les Miles has become his own man with two 11-2 seasons and winning a national championship with a 12-2 season in 2007.

Nick Saban has won two championships for Alabama, the last over LSU.

And now they face one another again, this Saturday night at Tiger Staduim, in another LSU-Alabama football game.

When the clock strikes 7:00 p.m., Stand right up and roar!

Les Miles and Nick Saban Photo Gallery

Highlights from LSU's 9-6 overtime victory against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Via [NOLA.com]