After being turned down by Gophers football coach Glen Mason, Louisiana State will reportedly hire one of his Big Ten colleagues, Michigan State coach Nick Saban.
Louisiana television stations named Saban as the front runner for the position vacated when Gerry DiNardo was fired with one game remaining in the season. LSU’s sports information office would not confirm the report.
Mason met with LSU officials last Tuesday to discuss taking over the troubled team, which has gone 4-7 and 3-8 in the last two years despite being expected to contend for the SEC championship.
But Mason elected to stick with the bowl-bound Gophers, who finished 8-3 this year and accepted a bid to play Oregon in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31.
“I have removed myself from any consideration as a candidate for the head coaching position at Louisiana State University,” Mason said in a statement last Wednesday.
Speculation Mason would leave the University was fueled following the resignation of men’s athletics director Mark Dienhart, who hired Mason.
Saban guided the Spartans to a 9-2 record this season, good for a second-place tie in the Big Ten and a bid in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. He is reportedly making $697,330 at Michigan State.
LSU Chancellor Mark Emmert told LSU players Monday he hoped to have a new coach named within 36 hours. LSU officials have previously stated they would like to have a replacement for DiNardo by Dec. 10.
Michigan State player Amp Campbell told WLNS-TV in Lansing, Mich. after a team meeting Monday evening that Saban was considering the job and has returned home to discuss the matter with his family before making a final decision.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Josh Linehan welcomes comments at [email protected].