Big Name Or Assistant? Expect Johnson’s Tenure To Impact LSU’s Next Ch

Harry · April 10, 2012

Having covered every football and basketball coaching search in the SEC over the past 4 years — and there’s been a whooooole lot of them — we’ve got a pretty good guess as to how LSU’s search for a new basketball coach will go.

First, LSU will reach out to a big name or two, just to satisfy the fanbase. That’s the usual first step, though some schools — notably Mississippi State with its recent search — bypass that move altogether if they don’t have big enough money to toss around at proven coaches. LSU has cash. So we expect a big name or two to be attached to the job in some way: Shaka Smart of VCU (like Tubby Smith and Jon Gruden, his name comes up when there’s any vacancy anywhere), Baylor’s Scott Drew (hit with some negative NCAA news about his program just yesterday), and Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh. Dixon was contacted by Tennessee last year, for example, before the school fell back to Cuonzo Martin. Ironically, Dixon is a TCU alum and his decision to turn down his alma mater opened up that job for Trent Johnson.

Second, most schools usually go 100 miles per hour in the opposite direction their last coach had the program traveling. Got an introvert (Billy Gillispie)? Hire an extrovert (John Calipari). Got a defensive guy (Sylvester Croom)? Hire an offensive guy (Dan Mullen). Got a guy who can’t connect with the fan base? Hire someone who’s got built-in connections.

Read that last line again. And now know that one of the knocks on Johnson during his tenure at LSU was his inability to fit in with Tiger Nation. Announcing the opening at his school yesterday, LSU AD Joe Alleva said he would hire someone “who will energize our fanbase.”

read more: http://www.mrsec.com/2012/04/big-name-or-assistant-expect-johnsons-tenure-to-impact-lsus-next-choice/

Green Dozer · April 10, 2012

read more: http://www.mrsec.com/2012/04/big-name-or-assistant-expect-johnsons-tenure-to-impact-lsus-next-choice/

Well, if he was as fashionable conscious then as he is now, he damned sure did not fit in. I doubt there is anybody in the whole state of Louisiana that could out-dress Johnny! :lol: