Talked to a buddy of mine and he said UCLA. As soon as Kevin Love declared for the draft this was speculated.
You know, I wondered a little bit of that myself. It's a little hard to say, b/c bottomline, it hurts to be at an institution where you weren't their "guy". Going to OK State to join Ford, is a little different than staying at LSU with Ford at the helm, IMO. Just the feel of his current situation is more of a "fresh start." What I want to get to the bottom of is what is the "coaching philosophy" difference between Trent and Butch? It seems that this is what they're giving the most lip service to... 2theadvocate.com | Sports | Pierre opts for job at Oklahoma St. — Baton Rouge, LA "Trent is a great guy who has had a lot of success wherever he's been," Pierre said. "He has a different philosophy in the way he wants to do things and I respect that. It's just the right time for me to be part of something special somewhere else." This sort of dovetails with something else I've noticed in the last few weeks. What really is CTJ's street cred with players and recruits? He's certainly known as being a very successful coach, with great winning ways, but does he really relate to the younger mindset of the kids? He is a no-nonsense guy who is demanding. Butch was definitely a player's coach for sure. I wonder if that's what they're both getting at. Kids in today's age want to go play for the "kindler gentler" coaches, preferably for as few years as possible. In any case, this is pretty much now a restart. No Morgan, and probably no Tommy Mason Griffin and Keith Gallon in 2009. It's a restart in 2009 for sure, and we're relying on CTJ, Keith Richards and Donny G (from Stanford) to recruit for LSU. Treloar may also be out soon too. For all of the Brady bashers out there... how do you feel now? :huh: If you're a LSU fan, you take your lumps and hope that in a year or two, it all balances out I suppose. :geauxtige
According to DandyDon, Butch was welcomed to stay on as an assistant coach, but he wasn't going to be the top assistant OR the head recruiter. Other rumors say that he wasn't going to be the highest-paid assistant either and perhaps might be taking a pay cut. It looks like Trent was showing Butch the door without being overt about it for the sake of fans and recruits.
My favorite quote by the new boss for LSU Basketball is "If he don't want to be an LSU Tiger we don't want him here." I am actually getting excited about LSU Basketball again.
Thanks for pointing that out Red, just saw that too. If true, obviously, that has a lot to do with it. Butch's life blood is recruiting kids, and he's obviously getting that chance with Ford. I just hope CTJ knows what he's doing. Clearly, he has a lot of faith in Keith Richard. I know the guys played against each other in the WAC, but I'm concerned that Richard wasn't necessarily known for his recruiting. I'm also concerned that Donny G, while clearly a former good player and knows CTJ's system inside and out, isn't necessarily going to set the world on fire recruiting down in the south. I wonder if we're going to see some more unheard of recruits from the West and perhaps some JUCOs to fill the gap while these guys get used to recruiting in LA/TX/GA. Regardless, I think what recruits are seeing is a new regime at LSU. It's one that probably will appeal to a more cerebral, hard-nosed player, who wants discipline and a more professional environment. I'm not passing judgement until we see what results this new system brings. But, alot of the fans wanted change, and now they're getting change. So, does anyone know if Randy Livingston sent a resume to LSU or not? :hihi: It's time for CTJ to go through the LSU alumni rolodex for a good potential coaching talent...
When Butch didn't get the job he started looking. Wouldn't you? If I were interim head coach and then got shot down for the job I would seek employment else where also. Don't get me wrong, I think Johnson getting his own staff is best for the program. Whether or not he's successful is another story.
