Many of us are apprehensive about our current situation. This is completely to be expected. Nobody can predict the future. It is natural to be apprehensive.
I agree... ...let's hope what is getting printed in the media is only a fraction of what is happening in real life. Remember, Saban wasn't even an afterthought the last time we went shopping for a new HBC. I'm hoping that Skip can pull another great one under the radar. I like the fact that Saban is involved, he knows good coaches.
... It is easier to find that exciting replacement when you are replacing a loser coach. It will be next to impossible to get the name that would excite me. Not sure there is one. I just hope the next coach makes us all forget the last couple of weeks.
AP - Posted 1/24/05 Baton Rouge, LA - After weeks of frustration in searching for a suitable replacement for Nick Saban, LSU AD Skip Bertman gave up on finding a coach and decided to take on the job himself. "I love football" he said, "and I know coaching, so why not? People obviously link me more to baseball, but football is a sport that I've been involved in over the years. I even played when I was younger. Granted, back then we wore leather caps, but the game is still the same. Besides, like Nick, I'm all about a new challenge, and this opportunity affords me an exciting one. Not to mention that all the coaches I've interviewed up to this point just suck, so there really aren't any other options. I mean did the fans really think I was going to hire Tubbyville or Nuttyboy?" Bertman, one of collegiate baseball's all time great coaches put LSU baseball on the map in the 90's, winning the College World Series 5 times between 1990 and 2000. After his retirement from baseball following the 2001 season, Bertman was named LSU's Athletic Director, and he has since worked with Nick Saban to put LSU football on the map too, during which time LSU won the SEC twice, and the national championship in 2003. "The entire coaching staff has agreed to stay, so I'm going to leave most of the play calling to them and just focus on being the team motivator and recruiter. That's what I'd be best at anyway." Bertman says he misses calling the pitches with all the crazy hand signs, and insists he's still going to be involved in some of the calling. "I'm getting kinda old, and I can't move like I used to, but I think I can still hold up a 1 or a 2 after touchdowns" he laughed.
I understand what most are saying about not jumping to soon to object to any of the coaches mentioned, with the exception being Nutt. I just don't find there to be a great crop of candidates, at least those mentioned. But we shall see. Skip knows how important this hire is for LSU and the state of Louisiana.
