While at LSU, Nick Saban made the mistake of thinking he was a great coach when in fact what he really was was a great recruiter. Once he jumped to the NFL and its salary cap, he learned in a hurry that turning a franchise around without the ability to recruit players is a tough proposition. And when Saban regressed in his second season to 6-10 and last place in his division, he understood why Steve Spurrier gave up his big contract with the Redskins to return to the college ranks.
As much as the large-ego coaches would like to think otherwise, players win football games and coaches mostly offset each other on the sidelines. However, being a great recruiter at a big-name university (think Lou Holtz and Pete Carroll, both of whom also failed in the pros) can make you look like a great coach on college football Saturdays.
