Katrina Richardson didn’t realize her mistake until the LSU coaches had left her home.

Years ago, then-LSU coach Les Miles and his staff made an in-home visit to see prized running back recruit Trent Richardson. Then, the entire time, his mom called Miles “coach Saban.”

“The room is really silent the first few times; Awkward,” Trent Richardson said recently on his new podcast called the Dynasty. “My mom is still talking. He’s still talking. My mom says, well ‘coach Saban, I see y’all really high on my boy. Y’all really love my boy. We’re going to think long and hard about it.’”

This conversation was happening as the LSU coaches walked out the door.

I see y’all really love my son, coach Saban. Y’all have done a lot. Coming down here, y’all recruited him hard, coach Saban. We really do appreciate y’all, coach Saban.

“She just kept nailing the name,” Richardson said. “I’m sitting there like oh my gosh.”

Once the coaches left, Richardson told his mom: That was coach Miles, not Saban.

His mom apologized to her son. “I’m sitting there rolling,” Richardson said.

Richardson estimated his mom called Miles “coach Saban” about 100 times.

“She names everybody except for the name of the person, and we know who she’s talking to,” Richardson said. “So my mom is one of those type of persons, she would say, Chris, or Trent and she’s talking to AJ. And AJ would know she’s talking to him.”

Miles surely picked up on the fact Richardson’s mom was talking to him when saying “coach Saban.” He also likely knew what that meant for Richardson’s recruitment.

Another LSU assistant articulated that interpretation as he walked out the door that day.

Well I see we know where you’re going to go now. But we’re still going to try to recruit the hell out of you. But we know you’re going to ‘Bama. We’re going to give those guys a run for their money.

Richardson went on to commit to Alabama, where he spent three seasons and won two national championships. Then the Cleveland Browns selected him in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for Follow him on X and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.