re: Dinardo Hiring Process

DiNardo was an initial unpopular hire at Vanderbilt and LSU. DiNardo had known Vandy AD Paul Hoolahan ,who replaced Roy Kramer as AD, while growing up in NYC. DiNardo was indeed a hot commodity and was Athlon's assistant of the year after the 1989 season at Colorado.

Vandy was coached at the time by Watson Brown who was one of Vandy's most popular players ever and when he became coach in 1986 most fans were thrilled. But he was a terrible coach and in 1990 in the season opener Vandy lost at SMU,44-7 -- the Mustangs second year back from the death penalty.

Hoolahan wanted to get rid of him after that and started talking with DiNardo.It got messy in Nashville as Brown's Commodores were viewed much like the Cubs, prior to the World Series of course. Even with Vandy going 1-10 and the lone win over LSU, lots of Vandy fans wanted Brown to stay.

Brown maintained that former AD Roy Kramer had given him a verbal lifetime contract and the Sports editor of the Nashville Tennessean reported that Hoolahan had brought DiNardo in to tour Vandy/Nashville during the season.

But DiNardo won fans over with a 5-6 record in his first year. DiNardo had his own "Junction Boys" with a boot camp between Nashville and Chattanooga which toughed VU up some.

He was ready to leave in 1994. He had tried to generate more enthusiasm in the Tennessee-Vandy series by addressing the Vols only as "the team from the East" and chastising Nashvillians who bought Vandy season tickets but pulled for UT in that game. All that did was remind Tennessee that "hey,we really do dislike Vanderbilt." While Vandy blew the 1992 game late, Tennessee won in 1991 45-0,62-14 in 1993 and 65-0 in 1994. Still he beat Georgia twice and played Alabama tough in years 2,3 and 4.

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Josh Booty

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Originally signed with Hallman fwiw

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Brandon Winey, Lou Williams, Jarvis and Howard Green, Rob Royal, Toefield, Norman Lejeune, Dominick Davis

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DiNardo's best classes were he first (95) and his last (99). So yes there was talent on hand for Saban but by 99 they were in the 60's on scholarship players, so not enough depth.

1 thing I also remember Saban saying was how "weak" the team was from a S&C standpoint. That's why he brought in Moffit and continues that at Alabama.

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Keeping him after 98 definitely still qualifies as being "far too loyal".

Tim Couch and Quincey fricking Carter


Whatever the factors that went into the decision, keeping Tepper over Watts, who interestingly went to Michigan State with Saban, was the final nail in his coffin.


And I'm a huge Dinardo fan that thinks he doesn't get nearly enough credit for where we are today from the idiots that think Saban birthed LSU football from his golden vagina.

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Seems like every QB we played left the game in the Heisman race. lol

Hiring Pat Sullivan from TCU fell through and we ended up with a 5-6 coach from Vandy. Sounds familiar huh?

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Why on Earth would LSU have paid a buy out for that guy? Plus he got fired three years later going 1-10.

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I am not saying we should have. We should get this squared away before stuff gets out. I think the deal with Jimbo in 2015 had the same problem. We got to the end and didn't want to pay his buyout.

Dinardo was a better coach than Sullivan.

Thanks Voodoo ! I am proud that there are some people who remember the the truth not the blown out of proportion sabin heroism !

$400K was a ton in 1994. Spurrier was the highest paid coach in college football at $2 million per year.

That's perspective for you son.

When Saban was hired at $1.3mil it sent shockwaves thru the media. Everyone and I mean everyone pretty much said paying a coach that much money was the dumbest thing to do. LSU turned out to be right.

The best coaches in the country won't even take your call if all you can offer is $2mil in today's market.

I really liked Dinardo and felt he had the makings of a good coach. He would likely be still coaching the Tigers today, if not for the fatal Tepper mistake.

Oddly enough, he was never the same after arguably the most thrilling LSU victory ever, over top ranked Florida in 1997.

Losing Carl Reese was the beginning of the end.

Watts went back to MI to finish vesting in the retirement system. Evidently he already had some time in and wanted to vest.