re: What caused LSU Football's putrid 90's run?

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Basically hiring Mike Archer instead of Steve Spurrier

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I know this stupid rumor won't die, but Spurrier was not a legit candidate and unless you had a time machine or were Nostradamus, he shouldn't have been. We hired Archer after the 86 season. Spurrier has hired by Duke. His coaching experience at the time was a couple of years as the OC at Duke and 3 years as HC in the USFL.

It started with the death via plane crash of Bo Rein.

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There was no talent in Louisiana in the Mike Archer era due to prop 48.

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There was a dip in talent and prop 48 was also a negative factor, but there was still talent in state, we just weren't get any of.

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It started with the death via plane crash of Bo Rein.

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I remember this well. It was a mysterious shock.

summary of Bo's end

To tell you the truth about Hallman, in 1990 he was regarded as a pretty safe hire. He had a reputation as a young up-and-comer, a no-nonsense disciplinarian, having learned under Bear Bryant. At USM he had developed a reputation as a "giant killer", having beaten Alabama, Auburn and Florida State. And had LSU not hired him, it was probably a matter of time before another SEC program did.

Regarding Gerry DiNardo and the coaching pool... Mack Brown was the number one choice in 1995, I believe. He was at UNC at the time, very successful, we were just unwilling to pay enough for him to leave. Pat Sullivan at TCU had accepted the job in principle, we just were unable or unwilling to come up with the money for his buyout.

Recruiting was not archers issue. He actually reeled in what talent was available which included several highly recruited kids.......quite a few didn't pan out though.

Mike is/was an excellent assistant coach but over his head at the head job. Joe dean was LSU's demise......

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This, he made Hallman look like a coach at USM and we hired this fool. Took a terrible toll on the LSU program. Also proves that even with the talent in La, Texas and Ms. that comes to LSU you still have to be a good coach to win.

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Curley was a terrible game preperation or discipline guy, but fool may be a stretch. He left Dinardo with one of the most talent laden teams LSU has ever had. Those last couple classes of recruits from Curley were strong.

Archer was at UK two separate times, and he's been NC State's DC for six years now.

bored so here's a list of all americans from 1990 to 2001 from louisiana.

1990
Eric Bieniemy shreveport colorado rb
1991
Marshall Faulk new orleans rb
Santana Dotson baylor new orleans de
1992
Faulk
Scott Sisson new orleans GT kicker
1992
Faulk (AGAIN!)
Marcus Spears baton Rouge N'western State OT
1994
Tony Bouie safety arizona new orleans
Orlando Thomas safety usl crowley
1995
Brandon Mitchell abbeville de a&m
1996
Warrick Dunn baton rouge rb FSU
Ike Hilliard Patterson, wr, Florida
David LaFleur te westlake lsu
Kevin Faulk lafayette rb lsu
1997
Peyton Manning tennessee qb new orleans
Alan Faneca new orleans og lsu
1998
Troy Edwards shreveport la tech wr
Todd McClure baton rouge c lsu
booger winnsboro dt lsu
2000
Ed Reed safety st rose miami
2001
Josh Reed Rayne wr LSU
The Hated Damon Duval Morgan City P Auburn (High school in auburn). F HIM

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Recruiting was not archers issue. He actually reeled in what talent was available which included several highly recruited kids.......quite a few didn't pan out though.

Mike is/was an excellent assistant coach but over his head at the head job. Joe dean was LSU's demise......

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Archer was 33 when he got the LSU job. To put that in perspective, as has been pointed out here before... he is roughly the same age as Les Miles, who did not get the LSU job for another 18 years.

To be fair though, Lane Kiffin is not much older than that now, and Mike Tomlin was around that age when he got the Steelers job.