| | BATON ROUGE, La. -- It's an all-too familiar story at LSU --
looking for a new head football coach.
But the search for a successor to Gerry DiNardo, fired Monday
after an eight-game losing streak, will be different this time. LSU
chancellor Mark Emmert, who's been on the job for only seven
months, will be the point man.
The previous two coaches -- DiNardo and Curley Hallman -- were
hired, and later fired by athletic director Joe Dean, who also
brought down the hammer on Mike Archer.
This time, Dean is switching to a support role. His 12-year run
as athletic director is scheduled to expire June 30, although he
plans to stay on without a contract to oversee the expansion of
Tiger Stadium before the 2000 season.
"I am the CEO (chief executive officer) of the university, so
it makes sense that the athletic director answer to me," Emmert
said. "And we also know there will be a transition of athletic
directors soon, so I will have a stronger role in the search,
yes."
Emmert said coaching candidates will not be interviewed for a
week or so. Right now, he and Dean are talking and visiting with
advisors around the country.
"We're beginning to talk to a handful of people with an
understanding of the situation we're in," Emmert said. "We're
seeking advice. We haven't contacted any prospective coaches yet.
The next step is to start narrowing down the candidates."
Emmert has never headed up a search for a major college coach,
though he assisted in the search for a head football coach at
Division I-AA Connecticut last year as that school's chancellor
from 1995 through early 1999.
Connecticut athletic director Lew Perkins hired Georgia Tech
defensive coordinator Randy Edsall to replace Skip Holtz, who
joined his father, Lou Holtz, at South Carolina after last season.
Edsall is 4-6 this season.
"I don't pretend to have any expertise in football," Emmert
said. "But I know people, and I know talent. I know managerial
talent. I know how to identify talent."
Charles Weems III, chairman of the LSU Board of Supervisors,
said he has complete confidence in the chancellor.
"The most important attribute is not knowing coaching but
people," Weems said. "He'll know how to evaluate the personnel."
Dean, who will be 70 next year, said he is considering staying
through December 2000 to ease the transition of a new coach. | |
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