Your top LSU Football Coaches during your lifetime

For those in my lifetime OBVIOUS HINT I am nearly 50:).

1 A) Saban - pure coaching ability. As a person the worst on the list except for Curley who was a terrible coach and an awful person.

1 B) Miles as far as combo of coach and person. I refuse to give the crimson devil the top spot alone so....

2) Choly Mac. In his early days considered defensive genius and decent recruiter. Got old and stale just like Miles did. I first remember LSU football past '76 or '77 season so I have vague memories of the Charles Alexander, James Britt, Carlos Carson, David Woodley, Ensminger etc.days when we struggled to win 7 total games and got the annual arse whooping to the Bear. I am including McClendon's earlier days of glory in 60's and early 70's to counterbalance the flat line years of late 70's.

3) Arnsparger - Defensive genius and architect of the No Names of Dolphins lore under Shula. Recruited for two years and then was lame duck after that. This is based on pure coaching. Him advising knucklehead Joe Dean to hire Archer puts a big not positive asterisk by his name.

4) O - legendary recruiter and so far a good organizer of a program. Does not bring much as far as Xs and Os which requires him to be very astute at hiring associates. There is potential for this ranking to move up..

5) Jerry Stovall - incredible recruiter who along with Sam Nader put LSU into the modern world of CFB recruiting post Cholly Mac. Our program in the early 80's could have set us up to end like what Ole Miss has been since '63 if it was not for changes in how we recruited compared to pre 1980 (and would not turned us into a sleeping giant just waiting for a game changer in the future at HC ie Saban). He set up the classes for Arnsparger and one year under Archer that were the leaders of the '84-'87 teams that averaged 8-9 wins and in competition for SEC championships every year. But..awful HC as far as Xs and Os and how to manage a program. Great Tiger and terrific person but just not cut out to be a HC for an SEC program.

6. DiNardo - very good recruiter and a good offensive mind. Terrible judge of character and too loyal to assistants and one particular coordinator who cost him his job essentially. When things got rough he clammed up and choked under pressure.

7. Archer - had to go back and edit because I literally forgot about him LOL! Decent DC, mediocre bench coach, worst recruiter we ever had. I mean Prop 48 hurt us and LSU as a program has itself to blame for not being prepared for it. But Mike could not sell a program to recruits so it was all a double whammy. His staff were average to mediocre coaches and none of them premier recruiters. Joe Dean hired a guy who put together a staff that was deserving of the Sun Belt or lower level ACC school. I was there as a student to see the disintegration of our program first hand.

8. Hallman..... I am not even......

Les Miles
Paul Dietzel
Cholly Mac
Ed O
Jerry Stovall
Bill Arnsparger

Saban, then Miles.

Saban put us back on the map and primed the program for success. Miles took the foundation and built a hell of a program on it, sustained success is not a given. Just ask VT, FSU, or Tennessee.

1 Saban (by a mile)
2 Arnsparger (He did not take over a champion, as Miles did)
3 Miles (I have Miles and Arnsparger practically even)
4 Charlie Mac (Huge gap between #’2/3 and #4)
5 There is no 5. Everyone else sucked going back to the 60’s.

If I was a little older I would have Pepsident Paul Dietzel as number 2.

Mac and Arnsparger and The Hat

nick saban-made lsu a national power

Les Miles-winner of the SEC x2 winning one national title and playing in another. Best winning percentage in lsu history

Dinardo-made lsu relevant then dropped off a cliff.

Saban
Mike archer

I’ve been alive a long time. Three of mine won National Championships. The one that went undefeated is the best IMO.
1. Coach Dietzel
2. Coach Saban
3. Coach Miles
4. Coach Mac
5. Coach Arnsbarger

1) Saban
2) Miles
3) Paul Dietzel
4) Coach O
5) Arnsparger
6) Dinardo
7) Charlie Mac (this seems low, given his legendary status, but truth be told, his teams generally underachieved badly)
8) Stovall
9) Archer
10) Hallman
NR) Gaynell Tinsley. Too young to remember his regime.

Les
Nick
Dinardo
Ed
Archer
Curly