The History of LSU (part 2 1960-2000)

After the 1959 season LSU went on to have one more great season with Paul Deinzal in which they went 10-1 and won the SEC, before he decided to move on too coach at Army. After announcing his decision Deizal said..

"I think the way you measure my move is 'Was LSU better when I left than when I came in?'" Diezel said. "It was tough leaving. I never considered going anywhere else because I thought LSU was the best coaching job in America. I loved the LSU fans. They are crazy and passionate about it. I had never considered West Point because they had never had a non-graduate coach. When they came around and asked me if I would be interested, it opened a door I thought would never be opened."

After Deizal left LSU went from him to Charlie Mclendon, who is widely known as the best coach ever to step foot onto an LSU football field. In his time at LSU he went 97-32-5 (.724 winning percentage) in 17 years (the longest LSU has ever had one coach). Charlie came in his first season in 1962, after surviving as an assistant at LSU since 1953 all the way back to the Gus Tinly years, and didn't skip a beat. LSU finished 2nd in the SEC and beat Texas 13-0 in the Cotton Bowl (which was a big time bowl back in tha day).

LSU went on to win 4 strait bowl games up until the 1966 season in which LSU beat #2 Arkansas, winning the game 14-7 and snapping Arkansas' 22-game winning streak. Which is widely known today as the main reason the Alumni of both schools are trying to force the LSU-Arkansas game to be a rivalry game, despite the fact that it seems neither have any bad blood for the other.

Mcclendon went on to coach up until the 1980 season, in his time at LSU he coached 14 All-Americans, 13 bowl games, 1 college football hall of farmer, 12 appearances in the final AP poll, and was a first ballot induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. That's why he is widely known as the best coach in LSU history.

After Mclendon LSU hired Bo Rein to attempt to succeed Mcclendon and was thought to be the next great coach at LSU until he was on a recruiting trip to Shreveport,Louisiana and his plane crashed and there were no survivors.

After his unfortunate death LSU went thought somewhat of a dry spell, until in 1986 LSU seemed to finally have the guy who would turn them back into the power house they were. Bill Arnsparger led LSU to it's first SEC championship in 16 years and a got them a sugar bowl berth, unfortunately for us first thing after that season, he left to pursue a job as the athletic director at Florida.

In 1988 LSU had what is known as the defining game in the history of Death Valley. Unranked LSU staged a near literal earth-shattering upset victory over #4 Auburn in Tiger Stadium, winning the game 7-6 with 1:41 remaining on a TD pass from QB Tommy Hodson to TB Eddie Fuller. The reaction of the crowd was so immense that it registered as an earthquake on a seismograph in LSU's Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex. Which is known now simply as The Earthquake  Game.

In the 90's LSU went through 4 different coaches, most weren't very good, but the most known thing that came out of the 90's in LSU football was without a doubt the 1997 LSU- Florida game. After being dominated by Spurrier for the last 7 meetings LSU shocked #1 Florida 28-21 in the Valley, it was the first time LSU had ever beatin the number one team in the country.

In 2000 the guy who was widely known as the savior of LSU football arrived, his name was Nick Saban. I believe everybody knows what happens from here.

I hope that knows you are more informed on the customs, history, and beliefs of LSU football and better understand what we had to do to get to where we are now.

Thanks for reading an have a great day.

A great addition to part one, Is there a third?

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I'm thinking about writing about what i think the future has instored for LSU, and things I wish LSU would try to do, like push a Non-confrence border war with Texas more.

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Great to have you back by the way

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Thanks

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U should write about that, Sounds great to me

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thanks

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There is already somewhat of an off the field rivalry between the two, but neither universities seem to want to cash in on it

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wow this is good must have taken a while

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Nice blog. Lots of history here. I am not a fan of LSU but I don't begrudge any team their history or their willingness to win and be great. So "Party On!"

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Thanks again.

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This is great!

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