...how the mighty have fallen. It appeared LSU would be on top forever. So much depends on a coach who knows how to run an entire program and who knows how to win.
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Fired?????
The LSU site and Skip Bertman says they accepted his resignation
The LSU site and Skip Bertman says they accepted his resignation
That's a shame, these are very fine coaches. I don't beleive it has to do with the quality of coaching, but the lack of facility. Unless they have made improvements since son was being recruited.
His choice not to consider was based on faciliies. The same went for some other top baseball schools. Great progrmas, but badly in need of facelifts.
AD's and alumni associations have to realize that many players now look for the whole package, not just coaching reputations. Name and past successes alone can not guarantee successful recruitng.
You expect the powerhouses to have great facilities, but many of the smaller schools have made significant improvements to bring in recruits that may have gone elsewhere.
JMO.
His choice not to consider was based on faciliies. The same went for some other top baseball schools. Great progrmas, but badly in need of facelifts.
AD's and alumni associations have to realize that many players now look for the whole package, not just coaching reputations. Name and past successes alone can not guarantee successful recruitng.
You expect the powerhouses to have great facilities, but many of the smaller schools have made significant improvements to bring in recruits that may have gone elsewhere.
JMO.
According to the Advocate in Louisiana, fired is the correct description, but either way, the result is the same. LSU will have a new coach in a job that Laval would prefer to retain. Too bad. The guy has done a great job over the years. I'm sure this has been very tough for Skip Bertman (although obviously far tough for Laval and his staff).
LSU Fires Laval and Staff
LSU Fires Laval and Staff
To me the problem is that without the magic of Bertman, the overrecruiting is a killer. Great players want to play. That is very difficult with all the guys LSU brings in. Facilities are important, but lots of places are great without corresponding facilities and a lot of places with great facilities struggle too. Probably it's a combination of all of the above.
Coach Laval is a good coach but he’s coaching in a very hostile environment, the SEC. He was simply caught in the squeeze. LSU packs the house at Alex Box stadium leading the nation in attendance as they have for the past 10 years averaging almost 8,000 fans per game. Most college baseball programs would love to have the record that LSU had under the guidance of Smoke Laval but that’s not good enough for LSU. They had a down year and they don’t cotton to losing in Baton Rouge so someone has to go. Don’t be surprised to see Skip Bertman step back in for a year or two until he can get the coach he wants. I really enjoyed the trips to LSU when my son played against them. Good fans.
Fungo
Fungo
Fungo that is one great picture 
How did you do that?
How did you do that?
During the playing of the "Star Spanged Banner" in the opening game of the AU/LSU series in 2005, I left my seat and sneaked up into the empty space above the press box at LSU to get a better view of the ball game. As I crawled around to get the my best vantage point, I stumbled on some sort of bottle some LSU fan had tossed aside. Out of curiosity I held up this bottle to the light and noticed it was an empty vodka bottle. While holding it up I noticed it gave me a wierd distorted "fish eye" view of Alex Box Stadium. Being a camera buff I took my camera, pointed the lens into the vodka bottle and clicked this shot of the ball field through this vodka bottle. I call it the "Box in a Bottle" picture.
Fungo
More info
Fungo
More info
2 college world series appearances in 5 years. Tuff to top that, unless your coaching Texas.