Tag: Paul Mainieri

5 LSU Tigers inducted into Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame

Five members of the 12-person induction class on Saturday night had connections to LSU.

It was a special night for LSU in Natchitoches, Louisiana, on Saturday.

In total, five LSU Tigers were inducted as part of the 2023 class into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. There was also a lot of non-LSU star power present as Eli Manning, Alana Beard, Ron Washington and Matt Forte were all also inducted.

The Tigers occupied nearly half of the 12-person induction class as the Louisana Sports Hall of Fame now sits at a membership of 480 men and women.

Here’s a rundown of each of the five people with LSU connections who were inducted into the HOF on Saturday night.

Former LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri to be inducted into Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame

Paul Mainieri won a national championship and made five College World Series appearances in 15 years at LSU.

Longtime LSU baseball coach [autotag]Paul Mainieri[/autotag] will be officially inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame this weekend.

The head coach of the Tigers from 2007-21, he won a national title in 2009 and reached the College World Series five times. His team also finished as the runner-up in 2017.

Mainieri retired following the 2021 season with an overall record of 641-281-3. In his 15-year career, he recorded four 50-win seasons including a 57-win campaign in 2013, which still stands as the program record.

He’s one of three LSU baseball coaches to win a national championship, joining legendary five-time champion [autotag]Skip Bertman[/autotag] and [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag], who won his first title this past season.

Mainieri will join former LSU pitcher [autotag]Paul Byrd[/autotag], who is also being inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

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LSU’s Jay Johnson named Coach of the Year by Collegiate Baseball

Jay Johnson becomes the third LSU coach to win the award, joining Paul Mainieri and five-time winner Skip Bertman.

After capturing his first national title as a head coach and the first for LSU since 2009, [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] was the only logical choice for Coach of the Year.

Indeed, the head coach of the newly crowned champions received the honor by Collegiate Baseball on Thursday after a 54-17 season in his second year in Baton Rouge.

Johnson becomes the third LSU head coach to receive the award from the newspaper, joining [autotag]Paul Mainieri[/autotag], who won it in 2009, and [autotag]Skip Bertman[/autotag]. The legendary Tigers coach won the award five times (1991, 1993, 1996-97, 2000).

LSU defeated Florida and coach Kevin O’Sullivan ā€” who won this award in 2017 ā€” in three games in the championship series. The Tigers won a decisive Game 3 18-4.

Johnson has built a championship roster quickly through the use of the transfer portal and elite high school recruiting. Now that he’s gotten the first title out of the way, he’ll try to defend it in 2024.

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Son of former LSU athlete Chad Jones participates in Tigers camp

A son of a former LSU star was at LSU’s recruiting camp.

The son of a former LSU two-sport standout took part in LSU’s recruiting camp over the weekend.

[autotag]Chad Jones Jr.[/autotag] posted a photo of himself and [autotag]Frank Wilson[/autotag], saying he appreciated the opportunity to be there.

His father, [autotag]Chad Jones[/autotag], had an illustrious career at LSU.

Jones was a contributor on the 2007 national title team. In 2009, he was second team All-SEC and had one of the best single-game performances in LSU history against Mississippi State.

You might remember Jones’ from that week. Jones dodged several Bulldog defenders en route to a 94-yard punt return touchdown.

To go along with his football championship ring, Jones got one with the baseball team. He was a top reliever for Paul Mainieri’s group that year and helped clinch LSU’s title win in Omaha.

It doesn’t seem Jones Jr. has a scholarship offer from LSU, but it’s nice to see him at the recruiting camp. He plays for Southern Lab High School in Baton Rouge.

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Report: Former LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri to interview for Miami job

Is Paul Mainieri going to be coming out of retirement?

Former LSU baseball coach [autotag]Paul Mainieri[/autotag] may not be retired for good, after all. Mainieri will interview for the open Miami Hurricanes coaching job this week. D1Baseball’s Kendall Rogers was the first to report the news.

It certainly comes as a surprise. Mainieri, who coached at LSU from 2007-21 and won a national title in 2009, announced his retirement two years ago. But with former UM coach Gino DiMare stepping down this offseason, it appears Mainieri is considering a return to the dugout.

Mainieri has some ties to the area. Though he was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, he graduated from Columbus High School in Miami. After one season at LSU, he transferred to Miami-Dade North Community College to play for his father’s team before landing at New Orleans.

A head coach at Notre Dame, Air Force and NAIA St. Thomas (Florida) before arriving at LSU, Mainieri had a 641-283-3 record in 15 seasons with the Tigers. He won six SEC tournament titles, four SEC regular-season titles and reached Omaha five times.

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LSU’s Jay Johnson details his relationship with legendary coach Skip Bertman

Johnson has quite a standard to live up to as the coach of the Tigers.

Every baseball coach who takes the LSU job knows the big shoes they have to fill.

Longtime former coach and athletics director [autotag]Skip Bertman[/autotag] set the program’s standard, winning five of LSU’s six national titles while at the helm from 1984-01. Now, coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] looks to become the third LSU coach to win a national title as the Tigers begin their run at the 2023 College World Series in Omaha.

Though he hasn’t been in an administrative role since 2008, Bertman remains a major figure within the program. In an interview with former player [autotag]Mikie Mahtook[/autotag] on the Mik’d Up w/ Mikie MahtookĀ podcast, Johnson detailed his relationship with Bertman.

ā€œThe best part of this job is the personal relationship Iā€™ve got to develop with him,ā€ Johnson said, per On3. ā€œBecause in the profession I have, you always aspire to be the best. He is the unquestioned GOAT. No doubt about that. I studied him as a young coach so now talking to him like three or four times a week and getting to hear or re-hear some of those stories because I have some familiarity with him has been amazing.ā€

Johnson’s direct predecessor, [autotag]Paul Mainieri[/autotag], also set the standard high, winning a national championship in 2009. Mainieri also remains around the building and has had an impact, as well.

ā€œLast night will be that night I remember forever and heā€™s a big part to do with that and same with Coach Mainieri,ā€ Johnson said. ā€œHe couldnā€™t have been better as far as helping me get off to a good start here and just little things I needed to know about the program and the roster and all those types of things. Getting to spend time with two guys of that level and caliber of coach here is honestly, probably, from the personal standpoint, one of the best things about coaching here.ā€

LSU begins its run in Omaha against Tennessee on Saturday as Johnson looks to join an exclusive club of national title-winning Tigers coaches.

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A look back on LSU’s last 5 super regional appearances

Here’s how LSU has fared at this stage of the tournament in recent years.

LSU is preparing for its 16th super regional appearance in the current format. When the Kentucky Wildcats come to Baton Rouge this weekend, it’ll also mark the 12th time LSU played host to a super regional.

LSU is 17-9 in those home games and 18-16 overall.

This is LSU’s first super regional appearance in two years and the first at Alex Box Stadium since 2019.

It’s been a while since the Tigers have won a super regional, at least by LSU standards: 2017. Coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] looks to end that drought this weekend and make his first trip to Omaha as LSU’s head coach.

Let’s take a look back at LSU’s last five super regionals.

No. 1 LSU vs. Lamar: How to watch, stream, preview for Wednesday night midweek contest at The Box

Here’s what you need to know to follow Wednesday night’s game against the Cardinals.

Coming off a perfect 4-0 weekend at Alex Box Stadium against Butler and Central Connecticut in which the Tigers earned three run-rule wins, LSU is back on the diamond on Wednesday night for a home matchup against the Lamar Cardinals.

The Cardinals (10-2) began the season 9-0 before dropping two of three against Penn this past weekend, though they did manage to take the rubber match on Sunday. LSU (11-1), meanwhile, won all of its games by at least 10 runs and remained the unanimous No. 1 team in the polls following the weekend.

Lamar is led by seventh-year coach Will Davis, a former LSU catcher and later assistant under [autotag]Paul Mainieri[/autotag] from 2008-15.

“I have a lot of respect for (Lamar coach) Will Davis and his program,” coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] said in a release. “He does a great job; I think heā€™s put that roster together about as well as you can. They have veteran players who are competitive and tough. They also use their pitchers the right way, so weā€™ve got a lot of preparation to do.”

Here’s everything you need to know to follow this one, which is set to start at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Five things for LSU fans to be thankful for this year

In honor of Thanksgiving, here’s what LSU fans should be thankful for this holiday season.

The Tigers’ athletic department has a proud tradition of contending: not just in football, but in sports across the board.

When I began covering this team back in March, it seemed like the program was at something of a low point. The football team had just brought in [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] after back-to-back disappointing campaigns, while the basketball program was closing up a disappointing finish to a season that started strong and ultimately ended with the dismissal of [autotag]Will Wade[/autotag].

To add onto that, the baseball program had a new coach in [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag], who was tasked with replacing the legendary [autotag]Paul Mainieri[/autotag], and [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] was in her first season trying to take the women’s basketball program to the next level. Change was the defining theme of this athletics department under [autotag]Scott Woodward[/autotag] just a few months ago.

But eight months later, and there seems to be an entirely new outlook for a number of LSU sports. With so much change in 2022 ā€” much of it positive ā€” here’s what Tigers fans have to be thankful for this holiday season.

Five former LSU athletes and coaches named to Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame’s 2023 class

Five more LSU alumni are joining the Hall.

Five former LSU players/coaches were recently named as 2023 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Inductees.

[autotag]Paul Byrd[/autotag], [autotag]Walter Davis[/autotag], [autotag]Wendell Davis[/autotag], [autotag]Paul Mainieri[/autotag] and [autotag]M.L. Woodruff[/autotag] are all going to be rightfully inducted into the Hall.

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame already includes 25 Pro Football Hall of Fame members, 18 Olympic medalists ā€” including 11 gold medal winners ā€” 12 members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, seven of the NBAā€™s 50 Greatest Players, seven National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 42 College Football Hall of Fame members and nine National High School Hall of Fame enshrinees.

It also features jockeys with a combined 16 Triple Crown victories, six world boxing champions, nine Womenā€™s Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinees, seven College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 10 College Basketball Hall of Fame members, four NBA Finals MVPs, four winners of major professional golf championships, five National Museum of (Thoroughbred) Racing and Hall of Fame inductees and two Super Bowl MVPs, per LSU.

Here’s a rundown of LSU’s additions and why each was chosen, according to the press release from the Tigers.