Tubby Denied in Local Poll for LSU Coach

It is funny how he doesn't get credit for going undefeated. Oh yes that was luck and uh somebody else did it. Guess what, you are allowed to bring in good coordinators. That counts too. And a bonus-they are allowed to move with a coach to a new job. Ole Miss and Auburn were in bad shape when he got there. Now the "classless" thing. He handled the severe screw job this year better than any coach in the country would have. You think Stoops would have acted that way? But I am sure you would be drooling to get him. Please elaborate on the classles thing. Is this all about stomping on the eye and smoking cigars after they whipped us 6 years ago. I so that is weak.

 

Tigerskin,
did you attend in LSU Home Games the past 5 years?
Do you live out of state?

 

Every one. I am from Baton Rouge and still live in Louisiana. What's your point?

 

I've stated this before but I'm not a Tubby hater however, I DO NOT want him as coach. I think the two incidents that happened at Tiger Stadium are WAY OVERBLOWN. He is a decent coach and I would support him if forced but we can do better.

 

My primary concern with Tuberville is his lack of

coaching ability. I'd rather we hire Al Borges than Tuberville. He's been in the SEC West a long time, most of those years his teams were mediocre at best. A lot of things came together for Auburn this year such as Caddy staying healthy, Ronnie Brown stepping up which no one would have expected when he was recruited, Al Borges' calling a good offense, Jason Campbell playing much better, and a very questionable call on the kick in Auburn this year, not to mention our own inexplicable inability to kick an extra point.

Secondly, I don't want anyone with his behavior representing LSU's football program. This guy is a poor sportsman win or lose. He shoots his mouth off before games, authorizes pre-season championship rings, etc. He is rarely respectful of other teams even when Auburn luckily escapes with a victory. Players also reflect their head coach, so yes, I do not want midfield stomping, tuba player bashing players wearing purple and gold. As for handling his situation at Auburn over the last year, his only other choice was to be unemployed. Nobody wanted him after last year, not even Auburn. Faced between making another million or quitting, I'd probably keep my mouth shut too.

 

Tigerskin You did not answer both my questions.
I asked you if you attended home LSU games.

It seems as if you are in the Dark about Tubervilles behavior.

 

I did answer your questions. I have been to all the home games (SEC that is). Missed an occasional rent a win. Did I miss Tubby shooting you the bird?

 

Does Charles Hanagriff go to LSU games?




December 27, 2004
Who’s the new coach and other tough questions
Charles Hanagriff
TigerBait.com Columnist

In February of 2001, I was sitting in Alex Box Stadium, one week before the season opener, watching that year's Tigers take on the Alumni in their annual game.

Playing that day for the Alumni was Brad Cresse. Cresse, an All-American, had last been seen by Tiger fans getting the game winning hit in Omaha to give LSU their fifth National Championship.


I thought to myself, when Cresse comes up, this crowd is going to go nuts. I expected the 2,000 or so in the park to come to their feet and give one of the greatest LSU hitters ever a standing O. After all, they hadn't seen him since the CWS, and, well, that was a pretty big RBI.

Bill Franques announced him on the PA, and the reaction was just as if Jesper Parnevik had made a routine par on sixteen at English Turn.

Some polite applause, a few whistles. He could have been the cleanup hitter for UNC-Wilmington.

The response from LSU fans was simple—it doesn't matter what you did—you're not one of us anymore.

I felt the same way reading some of the rubbish on the message boards following Nick Saban's announcement on Christmas night. It was like the man had never done anything for LSU. For some, not all mind you, but some, he was nothing more than a bottom feeder scrounging for more money.

First of all, shame on anybody for criticizing a man for bettering himself. The sun does not rise and set for everyone in Baton Rouge, and Saban took a job at the highest level of his profession for twice the money he was making at LSU. Anyone out there who wouldn't take a strong look at such a situation is foolish.

Secondly, I was roundly criticized when I wrote about Dennis Franchione two years ago, saying that there was no loyalty in sports. Well, there isn't, and fans will save themselves a lot of heartache if they look at this for what it is—a business, plain and simple. Every coach, player, and administrator is out to do what is best for them, which may or may not coincide with what is best for their particular school. In other words, it mirrors real life.

Third, Saban was in a no-win situation on the timing of this. If he had made an earlier announcement, he would have been scorned for not telling the players first. He waited, and instead got raked over the coals for dragging out the process.

Finally, it's really sad that some people can't just appreciate what the man did for LSU, let him coach the bowl game, and move on.

Many of the fans have been realists about this, but the jilted-lovers syndrome lingers for some. Why it is necessary for the head coach to "love" LSU is beyond me. Fact of the matter is, the two coaches in the last 20 years who loved "coaching football" and not necessarily LSU, did the best job while they were here.

This isn't a marriage. It's a job. It isn't "till death do us part", it's win and get paid or lose and get fired. Coaches don't need to think like fans. Truth be known, Saban was probably here at least one and maybe two more years than most people in the industry thought he would be.

Bringing us to the question of the day, which is who will be LSU's next head football coach? I don't know, and I doubt at this early time that anyone else, including the search committee, knows for sure either. I will say this; the most qualified, "available" candidate out there is Tommy Tuberville.

Is he really available, or is the story in print right now another famous "leak" by Jimmy Sexton designed to get his client more money? I don't know that either. All I know is that there aren't any other coaches available that have gone undefeated in the SEC.

He is the reigning national coach of the year. His winning percentages in six years at Auburn (68 % overall, 65 % SEC) are not very different than Saban's in five years at LSU (76 %, 70 %). He owns an undefeated record playing in the league. Not even Saban or Steve Spurrier could do that.

He has recruited and won for ten years in this league. It would take the rug out from under LSU's chief rival in their own division and give the Tigers a proven winner in the SEC.

Am I saying LSU should hire Tuberville? No. I'm saying that most LSU fans' reason for scratching Tuberville from their list is –"they smoked cigars in Tiger Stadium". Who cares? If Tuberville coached at, say, Georgia, and had the exact same record but didn't smoke cigars, Tiger fans would probably be all for hiring him. Spurrier ran the score up on LSU half a dozen times, and fans would be letting bygones be bygones if he were available. Emotions get people in trouble when they should be making rational decisions.

And rationally, Tuberville's record is very strong. There is no perfect candidate out there. History tells us that the people's choice probably won't get the job. This year that is Butch Davis. In 1999, it was Dennis Erickson. In 1994, it was Mack Brown. Davis seems adamant about sitting out this year. If that holds up, the Tigers have to move on.

There is no doubt in my mind that Davis is Plan A. Plan B might be a group of Kirk Ferentz, Bobby Petrino, and Les Miles. Forget about Jack Del Rio. That rumor was started when a package of LSU gear was sent to a Jacksonville Jaguar trainer as a thank you, and Del Rio decided to have some fun with LaBrandon Toefield. Del Rio's daughter graduated from LSU in early December, but that's the extent of the connection.

My best guess is that Ferentz will stay in Iowa until that perfect NFL job comes along, unless the Penn State job opens up before that. That leaves Petrino and Miles. My prediction, which is nothing more than my own educated guess, is that the next LSU coach will be one of those two.

My advice to Tiger fans is this: no matter who gets the job, let them run the program the way they see fit. Whoever it is, it will not be Nick Saban. As successful as Saban was, there are other ways to run a team, with great results, that are nothing like Saban's. The new coach will come with a great resume' that was compiled doing things his way. He might not be able to do things Nick's way even if he wanted to, nor should that be expected of him.

So, if there are no assistants retained from the current staff, don't go ballistic. The new coach may or may not be comfortable working with this group. As talented as they are, they are not the only ones capable of coaching college football. If he wants to have spring football in February, then let him go ahead. If he closes practice, have some patience. If he brings in the quarterbacks coach from Slippery Rock, just trust in the decision that the administration has made. Ultimately, he will be judged on wins and losses anyway, so let the man do what he thinks is right.

Finally, I'm a little confused about the lack of faith in Skip Bertman. Since he has been AD, all he has done is have a successful transition of head coaches in baseball (slightly before he became AD, but he made the hire), women's basketball, and track and field. He has taken over ownership of the PMAC and started a major renovation. He has overseen a massive remodeling of Tiger Stadium, complete with club seating that will produce previously unheard of revenues for the athletic department. He has gotten a new football complex built, with a softball stadium on the way. LSU's total athletic achievements across the board are higher than they have ever been. Why wouldn't one of the most successful coaches in college sports history be capable of hiring a football coach?

It won't be long before we find out who that coach is.


Charles Hanagriff is the Sports Director for Eagle 98.1, the LSU Flagship.

 

???????

I guess you feel that the fact that the overwhelming majority of LSU fans can't stand tuberville should not play a part in his hiring.

Fans be dammed let's hire Tuberville anyway.

I don't know if you even read my letter to Bertman but I complimented
him for all he's done to LSU and his handling of the Saban situation. I really didn't agree with your column at all.

The Cigar incident is only one of many. Again reacting with Bulletin Board Material when your team is ranked #1 unwise see how you get smoked.
Laughing when your players run into the band. There are other incidents but I've already mentioned them and you don't seem to have an issue with a coaches character. To me Tuberville just doesn't come accross as the sharpest knife in the Drawer.

I think a big reason Auburn didn't get voted higher in the BCS is because many people didn't have the respect for him that they had for SABAN. Unfair maybe but true.

 

Well then at the same time that you complimented him you slapped him in the face because Tubby was very high on his list. Number 1 or 2 on the list. This info is also is from the same people that say Tubby is no longer a possibility. Mass hysteria has succeded. Don't care if you believe where Tubby was on the list or not. It is irrelevant now because he is no longer a candidate. Long live Louisiana politics.