Coaches

optimistic for solid year

By KYLE CARRIER

Staff Writer

Purple-and-gold clad LSU Tiger fans streamed into the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center last Tuesday to welcome the LSU Tiger Tour 2009’s trifecta: head football coach Les Miles, head basketball coach Trent Johnson and Athletic Director Joe Alleva.

It was the sixth on the 12-stop tour, which heads to Atlanta tomorrow.

“It’s a way of saying, ‘Thank you,'” Johnson said of the tour. “There are a lot of people in the state who support LSU and donate a lot of time, energy and money. For me, it’s always a way to say, ‘Thank you.'”

“I’m still sort of embarrassed when we go on these tours and they stand up and clap for us as coaches when we should be clapping for them,” he added. “They support our programs.”

Miles enjoys the people, but said the drive into Houma is a great diversion.

“I very much enjoy being down south,” he said. “This is where the strength of LSU really is. It was a winding road back in here and it was a whole lot more fun than the expressway, I promise you.”

Miles and Johnson made the trek in person.

Head baseball coach Paul Mainieri – who was preparing his team for the Super Regionals against Rice – and women’s head basketball coach Van Chancellor appeared in spirit. Their images were included on a backdrop across the stage.

Tuesday’s event left the Tiger faithful optimistic about the 2009-10 sports season.

LSU Sports Thrives Despite Threatened Cuts

Athletic Director Joe Alleva had a tall order – to keep LSU’s winning tradition alive – when he came over from Duke University last July.

“The thing I love about LSU is that we have a chance to compete in every sport,” he said. ” We’re doing that very well. We have good facilities and the best fans in America. It’s a great experience.”

With state budget cuts looming, Alleva admitted that there is a concern with cutting deep enough to satisfy the state and still keep LSU’s sports programs competitive.

The university will rely on its solid alumni base and aggressive fundraising to shore up gaps.

“We are one of the few athletic departments in the country that doesn’t take any state funds, doesn’t take any student fees and still gives money back to the university,” he said. “We are very proud of that. Budget cuts will affect the university tremendously. And it’s a little concerning because we don’t want to take any steps backwards.”

Last season, the athletic department returned nearly $8 million to the university, he said.

Despite LSU’s spending cuts, Alleva’s aspiration remains to make North Stadium Drive between Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center one of the nicer places on campus.

“That is one of the biggest visited areas on game days, so we need to do something to show its true beauty,” he said. “I think dressing up Tiger Stadium would help with that. There are broken windows and concrete around the stadium. It’s actually one of the most beautiful stadiums in the country. We have to make it even that much more beautiful.”

During his tenure, Alleva said he hopes “to provide the best quality overall experience for student athletes” and “leave the facilities even more beautiful” than he originally found them.

Johnson: Injuries, Graduation a Concern

Head basketball coach Trent Johnson doesn’t go anywhere without someone saying the Tigers gave national champion North Carolina its toughest game in the tournament.

But Johnson admits that he is not a big fan of moral victories.

“You’re only as good as your last game and we lost our last game,” he said. “We felt like we had a chance to win going in if we played well. Obviously, we didn’t get it done so that’s not a good thing.”

LSU’s losses aren’t limited to the tournament, either. Quintin Thornton, Garrett Temple, Marcus Thornton, Quinn Johnson, Chris Johnson and Terry Martin all graduated. And Tasmin Mitchell still could forgo his final season in favor of the NBA draft, leaving the Tigers with holes in key positions.

If Mitchell returns for his senior season, Johnson said it will be up to him and Bo Spencer to carry the load for the Tigers. But if Mitchell does go to the NBA, Spencer and Alex Farrer will shoulder the bulk of the leadership on the court.

However, they have to get healthy first, the coach said.

Spencer, who recently underwent wrist surgery, is out of his cast and Farrer, who had knee surgery, is slowly recovering. Johnson said redshirt sophomore Garrett Bruce is also limited to rehab until mid-August.

“Obviously, I inherited a bunch of guys that are really good basketball players,” he said. “They managed to stay the course as the year progressed. It was my 10th year as a head coach and ultimately what it was about was maximizing your ability and being the best basketball team at the end of the year during the NCAA Tournament.”

Tigers Hungry for Another Championship

Miles said his team was left hungry after failing to defend its 2007 national championship.

Upset they came up short in the bid to repeat led to the 38-3 thrashing of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the Chick-fil-A Bowl – a great ending to an inconsistent season.

The team has undergone an offseason facelift on its roster and coaching staff.

Miles hired Tennessee’s John Chavis to fill the vacant defensive coordinator post.

“I think John has done a great job introducing the defense,” he said. “I think he enjoyed coming into that and the players enjoy him. It’s a great transition. We like us. We like the way the defensive staff is coming together and I think our players have enjoyed it, so full speed ahead.”

Keeping the defense competitive will depend on players like juniors Al Woods (defensive tackle) and Harry Coleman (linebacker/safety) and sophomore Chad Jones to become leaders on the field, Miles said.

“You sprinkle in some new guys and I think we’ll be OK,” he explained. “I think (senior) Charles Alexander is another one that is going to step up and play some really good football for us. We may not have the big names like Glen Dorsey or Tyson Jackson, but we’re still very much solid on the defensive side of the ball.”

Offensively, redshirt sophomore Jarrett Lee and true sophomore Jordan Jefferson finally bring experience to LSU’s quarterback corps.

Unlike last season when Miles admitted the signal callers made young mistakes, he believes both will begin the season with something to prove.

And with senior Lyle Hitt and junior Ciron Black blocking, seniors Brandon Lafell receiving and Charles Scott carrying the ball, Miles said the offense is poised to make another run at the SEC title.

“It’s going to be a heck of a year,” he told the crowd.

“I like Jordan Jefferson at quarterback and Lee obviously has a great deal of experience,” he added. “Both guys are looking to compete and play significant football. They have the leadership that must be evident to have a quality year.”

But before the SEC race begins, Miles said his team must first have a solid summer.

“The road to a championship starts in early June,” he said. “There will be a calm before the storm, then we’ll crank it up. It’s one game at a time. We’ll improve as we go.”

Staff photo by KYLE CARRIER / Tri-Parish Times LSU head football coach Les Miles meets and greets supporters at the LSU Tiger Tour on June 2 at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center. The stop in Houma was the sixth on a 12-stop tour.