With all the furor over Les Miles this year I thought it time to remember the fairly recent past and share my memories of two coaches and impression I had of their time at LSU...who they were , how they did, how they were perceived at the time. This is my personal observation and besides the details of the years they coaches based on my memories. One reason for this is to remind all of us we have always had controversy in how LSU fans perceive their coaches. The first coach I have any memory of is Paul Dietzel (1954-61). Paul rescued LSU from the doldrums and brought the Tigers their first National Championship. He was young energetic, energetic and inovative and loved until he left. It was these teams that brought the fire for LSU to my heart. I remember when he left how hurt and angry the fans were. Unfortunately I never went to a game at this time and there was not much TV so my memories were of WWL radio and JC Politz's call of Billy Cannon's 89 yard TD punt return on Holloween 1959. The one TV game I did see was the 1960 Sugar Bowl where an angry Ole Miss team beat LSU (who voted not to be there) 21-0 in revenge for the Oct loss (and probaby cost the Tigers a second NC). interesting analog to last year isn't it? Charles McClendon (1962-79) was Dietzel's DC and a much less exciting HC. He was a plodder who carried on much of what the Dietzel era brought and put together many excellent teams. Cholly Mac was a disciple of Bear Bryant and had a defensive outlook. Following a star was a challenge and he was never trully appreciated. There were the years football changed from a small time game to a business. I was in high school and college over these years and knew many coaches (I went to school with Peavy and Hamley kids) and players such as Mike Anderson & Warren Capone. I went to my first LSU games in1967 and there WAS nothing better than being in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night. As the times changed and new offences such as the Wishbone evolved Charley was slow to adapt and people tired of only winning 8 games in a 10 game season or not competeing for a NC. Even though he won nearly 70% of his games and was the only one of Bear's students to beat him he was forced out after the 1979 season. I was going to continue through Les's tenure but this is already too long. I hope those other posters who were around then to add their comments and for those who weren't to get a better feel for the past and maybe why we hold our beliefs.
Cholly Mac was a good guy, and had a great relationship with his players. Tough guy and I see many similarity with Les Miles. Any player of coach Bryant gets a giant mulligan, even at Kentucky and LSU. Off the top of my head I can think of at least 2 more pupils that got coach Bryant on the field. Gene Stallings at Texas A&M and Bill Battle of Tennessee, by way of Alabama. I'm sure there are more. He sent a bunch into coaching.
My dad has said the parallels between Miles and Mac are definitely there--both in demeanor and in public perception. He also immediately pointed to the 21-0 loss to OM during the '59 Sugar Bowl as yet another parallel. He did note a key difference, though. Maybe 50 or 60 people welcomed our team home after the 1/9/12 loss. Several thousand arrived to welcome the '59 team back to Baton Rouge after their loss. When my dad became a coach in the late '60's, he had the opportunity to get to know Charlie Mac very well. He always admired Mac and realized that he was a great coach, though a conservative one. And Mac was a good representative for LSU. Fast forward 30+ years, and Miles is held in a similar regard to Charlie Mac. My dad even wrote Miles a letter telling him that and suggesting that Charlie Mac would've been very proud of the job Miles does at LSU. Two days later, Miles sent a handwritten letter back to him. Miles is not a perfect coach, nor was Charlie Mac. But no one is perfect--though they CAN be a perfect fit in a job. Both of those coaches fit that description.
Cholly Mac was before my time but I felt that I learned something about him via that book "It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium". The author really admired Mac and felt so bad about losing to Bama (0-3 I think) in the year that led to Mac being run out of town. The author also seemed to portray us Tiger fans as overly critical and disconnected to the pulse of the team, or at least that was my impression when he talked about riding back on the team bus after a tough loss and seeing signs around campus to fire Mac.
Yes John Ed Bradley was another kid I went to HS with. In all there are probably over 50 players and coaches from that time I know and grew up around and have worked with. It was so much like a big family and though there were stars they were all just part of the community. I say this not to boast but to demonstrate what it was like. Many many others can say the same as it isn't unique. That is what I think is so nice about it. It is difficult to describe what it was like then and before. When I say I am a 3rd generation Tiger my grandfather worked a LSU in the 30's and he was close with many players and coaches and helped them in life outside of football. This included people like Glenn Slats Hardin, Bob Staples, Gaynell Tinsley from the 30's on. Baton Rouge was a small town and many players came from and stayed and their families became part of the town. There was a continuity and community that has been lost somewhat. I say this not to criticize because the whole nature of college football has changed. It is more business like and colder. It is almost professional in its demands on players and coaches. I know you can't bring back the past and I don't want to. We all change. I hope some of the younger members and new members take the time to look back and learn a little about what has made LSU special and appreciate not only what we have been but what we are today.
Hey Winston, your mention of Glen Hardin reminded me of something. His son Billy and he were both track stars at LSU and I believe both were Olympic athletes.
Not only that the both won medals in the Olympics. Slats in the 100M hurdles 1936 and Billy in the 400M hurdles in 1960. Slats gave my grandfather his medal (we returned it when he died).
Mike the Tiger is named in honor of Mike Chambers who was the Tigers trainer in the 30's. According to my mother (who taught YA Tittle Books & Library BTW) he would run out onto the field when a player was injured and carry him off the field in a Firemans Carry. Don't know if is true(the carry bit) but its a good story. There is no place more beautiful than LSU's old campus ...The parade ground... Quadrangle...the Oaks... fraternity row...the Amphitheatre and so many more I truly love it.
