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Started By
Message
Bob Brodhead on Selling Bill Arnsparger to the LSU Fanbase
Posted on 7/17/15 at 3:57 pm
Posted on 7/17/15 at 3:57 pm
Bill Arnsparger's death reminded me of this passage from Brodhead's book, Sacked.
I have to admit, Brodhead did a good selling job.
What sort of reaction would LSU fans have if Alleva's hire for Miles's successor went 7-28 in his previous head coaching job?
... Under Arnsparger's guidance, the Giants were 7-28.
My standard response to anyone who quizzed me regarding this tarnish on his otherwise impressive resume was to fault the Giants organization, saying that Arnsparger hadn't been given enough time to build a winner. It's a good thing my friend Wellington Mara, the Giants' owner, didn't read the Louisiana papers, or he would have grown tired of assuming responsibility for Arnsparger's low winning percentage. Perhaps he would have understood that I wasn't about to let the second guessers stand in the way of a smooth transition from the old coaching regime to the new.
Besides, ten years had passed since then, and Arnsparger's record of accomplishments spoke for itself. Nine times in his eleven full seasons with Miami, the Dolphin defense ranked either first or second in the NFL in scoring defense.
I was proud of my selection, and I was confident that Arnsparger would provide the leadership necessary to turn the football program around. I had better be. The Good Old Boy Club at LSU, smarting from its first setback in decades--and at the hands of an outsider; no less--was busy tying my fate to Arnsparger's future won-loss record. Either he won, or I lost.
Some members of the media were also less than receptive to the new coach. Ron Higgins, a local sports columnist, had written the following bit of prose in anticipation that Arnsparger would be hired: "Brodhead, who once had a job promoting nails, would have an easier time selling thumb tacks than Arnsparger.
"The four problems with Arnsparger in an nutshell? He's too old (almost 57 years old); he's from Miami (fans will point to Brodhead's so-called Miami Connection), he's from the pros (LSU folks don't take kindly to a pro coach stepping into a college atmosphere) and he's not a proven major college winning head coach.
"If Brodhead wants to survive this ugly storm, he might consider shopping elsewhere for a head coach. Like at a major college."
Obviously, there wasn't going to be a run on red carpets to welcome Arnsparger, who was remaining with the Dolphins through the end of their season. I knew I had to do something. So I called my friends at ABC and asked for a favor. The Dolphins were appearing on a Monday Night Football broadcast the week after Arnsparger's appointment, and a few good words from Frank Gifford and "Dandy" Don Meredith would do wonders for my public relations campaign.
Not only were a few good words uttered from the booth, but praises were sung every time Arnsparger appeared on camera, complete with frequent mention of the LSU program he would take over at the end of the Dolphins' season. Lo and behold, the skeptics in Tiger Town were singing a different tune in no time.
The same favor was granted again during the Dolphins' playoff telecasts, and by the time Arnsparger arrived on campus in January, I had created a living legend. The biggest problem I would face from that point on was that not only had the public bought the hype, so had Arnsparger.
Sacked, by Bob Brodhead, 1987, 66-67.
I have to admit, Brodhead did a good selling job.
What sort of reaction would LSU fans have if Alleva's hire for Miles's successor went 7-28 in his previous head coaching job?
... Under Arnsparger's guidance, the Giants were 7-28.
My standard response to anyone who quizzed me regarding this tarnish on his otherwise impressive resume was to fault the Giants organization, saying that Arnsparger hadn't been given enough time to build a winner. It's a good thing my friend Wellington Mara, the Giants' owner, didn't read the Louisiana papers, or he would have grown tired of assuming responsibility for Arnsparger's low winning percentage. Perhaps he would have understood that I wasn't about to let the second guessers stand in the way of a smooth transition from the old coaching regime to the new.
Besides, ten years had passed since then, and Arnsparger's record of accomplishments spoke for itself. Nine times in his eleven full seasons with Miami, the Dolphin defense ranked either first or second in the NFL in scoring defense.
I was proud of my selection, and I was confident that Arnsparger would provide the leadership necessary to turn the football program around. I had better be. The Good Old Boy Club at LSU, smarting from its first setback in decades--and at the hands of an outsider; no less--was busy tying my fate to Arnsparger's future won-loss record. Either he won, or I lost.
Some members of the media were also less than receptive to the new coach. Ron Higgins, a local sports columnist, had written the following bit of prose in anticipation that Arnsparger would be hired: "Brodhead, who once had a job promoting nails, would have an easier time selling thumb tacks than Arnsparger.
"The four problems with Arnsparger in an nutshell? He's too old (almost 57 years old); he's from Miami (fans will point to Brodhead's so-called Miami Connection), he's from the pros (LSU folks don't take kindly to a pro coach stepping into a college atmosphere) and he's not a proven major college winning head coach.
"If Brodhead wants to survive this ugly storm, he might consider shopping elsewhere for a head coach. Like at a major college."
Obviously, there wasn't going to be a run on red carpets to welcome Arnsparger, who was remaining with the Dolphins through the end of their season. I knew I had to do something. So I called my friends at ABC and asked for a favor. The Dolphins were appearing on a Monday Night Football broadcast the week after Arnsparger's appointment, and a few good words from Frank Gifford and "Dandy" Don Meredith would do wonders for my public relations campaign.
Not only were a few good words uttered from the booth, but praises were sung every time Arnsparger appeared on camera, complete with frequent mention of the LSU program he would take over at the end of the Dolphins' season. Lo and behold, the skeptics in Tiger Town were singing a different tune in no time.
The same favor was granted again during the Dolphins' playoff telecasts, and by the time Arnsparger arrived on campus in January, I had created a living legend. The biggest problem I would face from that point on was that not only had the public bought the hype, so had Arnsparger.
Sacked, by Bob Brodhead, 1987, 66-67.
5
Posted on 7/17/15 at 4:24 pm to timlan2057
quote:
LSU folks don't take kindly to a pro coach stepping into a college atmosphere
My how times have changed.
Posted on 7/17/15 at 4:31 pm to c on z
quote:
My how times have changed.
That bit of newspaper writing disparaging of Brodhead's "Miami Connection" shows how provincial the atmosphere around the LSU athletic program was in the early eighties.
After all, Skip Bertman was part of Brodhead's "Miami Connection."
Posted on 7/17/15 at 4:45 pm to timlan2057
I had forgotten all that. Great post.
Posted on 7/17/15 at 4:50 pm to timlan2057
quote:
a few good words from Frank Gifford and "Dandy" Don Meredith
Posted on 7/17/15 at 7:26 pm to chilge1
Arnsparger's Miami defenses were really good and fun to watch.
Baton Rouge die-hards knew he could coach. But could he recruit.
Stovall left him a fantastic roster to work with. Nobody out-recruited Stovall.
In the end, Arnsparger only lasted three seasons before moving on. Then the train wreck began.
Baton Rouge die-hards knew he could coach. But could he recruit.
Stovall left him a fantastic roster to work with. Nobody out-recruited Stovall.
In the end, Arnsparger only lasted three seasons before moving on. Then the train wreck began.
This post was edited on 7/17/15 at 7:28 pm
Posted on 7/17/15 at 7:26 pm to timlan2057
quote:
The biggest problem I would face from that point on was that not only had the public bought the hype, so had Arnsparger.
I can honestly see that. Broadhead was under-appreciated during his time at LSU. And I'm as guilty as anyone else in that regard.
Posted on 7/17/15 at 7:29 pm to timlan2057
The most prepared LSU football team I had seen until Saban. Miami of Ohio game aside.
Posted on 7/17/15 at 8:09 pm to Loveland Tiger
I think that night they mentioned LSU almost 30 times during the Monday Night Game. I remember watching the game and they were showing the Coach like every several minutes or so. I remember he had several players on the Sidelines and he was going over Defenses with them and they were saying how a great teacher he was. I actually got to meet him at Year Round Tiger Boosters Functions.
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