EscambiaTiger

One of the most interesting games I've ever witnessed was LSU playing at Southern one of the seasons that Roger Cador had an excellent team that went on to the play-in series. There were only a few die-hard Southern fans in the bleachers when the game started, but Southern went ahead for several innings, and the bleachers started to fill and people were streaming in as word got out that the Jaguars were winning. LSU came back to win, but the buzz that occurred as the game went on was pretty crazy to see.

LSU also played an afternoon game at Nicholls some years ago under Skip. Nicholls won that one, and Skip made his team run in the outfield. Some Nicholls fans shouted "O-ma-ha" to tease the LSU players as they ran. If I remember correctly, LSU not only went back to Omaha that season but won the CWS as well.

Weak flex

Even worse, a lot of the quality candidates available this cycle are changing schools now, which means they won't be available after next season.

Will Wade from McNeese to NC State
Sean Miller from Xavier to Texas
Nico Medved from Colorado State to Minnesota
Ben McCollum from Drake to Iowa
Ryan Odom from VCU to Virginia

Unless Woody thinks he can find another Buzz Williams who will leave a power conference for LSU, the list of quality candidates might not be nearly as good next season.

LSU is also sending McMahon a message. McMahon says he needs additional resources (NIL). LSU says it will give him the additional resources. When/if McMahon sinks next year, then LSU can say, we gave you the support that you asked for, you didn't succeed despite that support, and we're letting you go. It also shows the next coach that there's administrative support, despite what others think to the contrary.

It's being run as a business, which isn't the worst thing in the world. An employer gives an employee all the tools to be successful, but if he or she is not, it's on the employee and not the employer. The negative, obviously, is that most any other LSU coach who goes 14-40 in the SEC would have been let go by now, yet LSU fans will have to suffer through another craptastic season before there's a change.

If there's a silver lining, at least Will Wade won't be coaching in the SEC. Weird timing, though. His team has a chance to make a little noise in the NCAA tournament. Now you have to wonder how motivated McNeese will be against Clemson, which once wanted to hire Will Wade if Brad Brownell continued to struggle but now watches him go to a conference rival.

The right thing to do. At 14-18, there were teams with winning records who deserved the spot that LSU would’ve taken. Plus, it probably would’ve been a low seed, gone on the road and gotten blown out. When one of the players posted from the beach, it was a sign that the season had ended.

He is not the type of coach that LSU needs. LSU’s coach needs to be able to sell himself and sell the program. LSU thought so much of Will Wade when it hired him that his introductory news conference was held in the Union lobby. His enthusiasm that afternoon was infectious. Contrast that with Matt McMahon’s introductory news conference, which took place in its usual place and couldn’t have been more dull.

Request for the next LSU MBB coach:
— hire someone who has a proven record of success
— who has a proven understanding of the portal and NIL
— who has a proven history of recruiting and developing players
— who understands that LSU needs someone who is as much a salesman as a coach (see: Dale Brown and Will Wade)
— whose W-L record hasn’t been inflated by one amazing talent (see: Ja Morant, or the basketball equivalent of Brett Favre to Curley Hallman).

Don’t tease me

We’re down by 30. This is an embarrassment of epic proportions. I don’t have the words to express my frustration with the decision to bring this back for another season.

McMahon is 14-40 in the SEC. LSU would never allow its football or baseball coach have that record, much less retain that coach for another season. McMahon has to go.