List of LSU Tigers head football coaches

The LSU Tigers college football team represents Louisiana State University (LSU) in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Tigers compete as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The program has had 32 head coaches since it began play during the 1893 season.[1] Since November 2021, Brian Kelly has served as LSU's head coach.[2]

Head coach Brian Kelly

The team has played more than 1,200 games over 124 seasons of LSU football.[1] Twelve coaches have led the Tigers in postseason bowl games: Bernie Moore, Gus Tinsley, Paul Dietzel, Charlie McClendon, Jerry Stovall, Bill Arnsparger, Mike Archer, Gerry DiNardo, Nick Saban, Les Miles, Ed Orgeron, and Brian Kelly.[3] In addition, an Edgar Wingard-coached team accepted an invitation to participate in the first Bacardi Bowl. Six of those coaches also won conference championships after LSU left the Southern Conference to join the SEC: Moore, Dietzel, McClendon, Arnsparger, Archer, Saban, Miles, and Orgeron won a combined twelve as a member of the SEC.[3] During their tenures, Dietzel, Saban, Miles, and Orgeron each won national championships awarded by major selectors while with the Tigers.[3][4]

McClendon is the leader in seasons coached and games won, with 137 victories during his 18 years with the program.[1] Allen Jeardeau has the highest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with .875.[1] John P. Gregg and John W. Mayhew have the lowest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with .333.[1] Bo Rein was hired in 1979 as head coach, but died in a plane crash on January 10, 1980, without ever coaching a game at LSU.[5][6] Of the 32 different head coaches who have led the Tigers, Dana X. Bible,[7] Mike Donahue,[8] Biff Jones,[9] Moore,[10] and Charlie McClendon[11] have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Key to symbols in coaches list
General Overall Conference Postseason[A 1]
No. Order of coaches[A 2] GC Games coached CW Conference wins PW Postseason wins
DC Division championships OW Overall wins CL Conference losses PL Postseason losses
CC Conference championships OL Overall losses CT Conference ties PT Postseason ties
NC National championships OT Overall ties[A 3] C% Conference winning percentage
Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame O% Overall winning percentage[A 4]

Coaches

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List of head football coaches showing season(s) coached, overall records, conference records, postseason records, championships and selected awards[A 5]
No. Name Term
[A 6]
GC OW OL OT O% CW CL CT C% PW PL PT DC
[A 7]
CC NC Awards
1 Charles E. Coates 1893 1 0 1 0 .000 0 0
2 Albert Simmonds 1894–1895 2 5 1 0 0.833 0 0
3 Allen Jeardeau 1896–1897 8 7 1 0 0.875 3 0 0 1.000 1 0
4 Edmond Chavanne 1898, 1900 5 3 2 0 0.600 1 1 0 0.500 0 0
5 John P. Gregg 1899 6 2 4 0 0.333 1 2 0 0.333 0 0
6 W. S. Borland 1901–1903 22 15 7 0 0.682 6 6 0 0.500 0 0
7 Dan A. Killian 1904–1906 16 8 6 2 0.563 3 3 1 0.500 0 0
8 Edgar Wingard 1907–1908 20 17 3 0 0.850 4 1 0 0.800 1 0
9 Joe Pritchard 1909 5 4 4 0 0.800 2 1 0 0.667 0 0
10 John W. Mayhew 1909–1910 9 3 6 0 0.333 1 3 0 0.250 0 0
11 Pat Dwyer 1911–1913 25 16 7 2 0.680 3 5 1 0.389 0 0
12 E. T. MacDonnell 1914–1916 22 14 7 1 0.659 3 3 1 0.500 0 0
13 Irving Pray 1916, 1919, 1922 20 11 9 0 0.550 4 4 0 0.500 0 0 0 0 0
14 Dana X. Bible 1916 3 1 0 2 0.667 1 0 1 0.750 0 0 0 0 0
15 Wayne Sutton 1917 8 3 5 0 0.375 1 3 0 0.250 0 0 0 0 0
16 Branch Bocock 1920–1921 17 11 4 2 0.706 2 4 1 0.357 0 0 0 0 0
17 Mike Donahue 1923–1927 45 23 19 3 0.544 5 14 2 0.286 0 0 0 0 0
18 Russ Cohen 1928–1931 37 23 13 1 0.635 11 9 1 0.548 0 0 0 0 0
19 Biff Jones 1932–1934 31 20 5 6 0.741 11 2 2 0.800 0 0 0 1 0
20 Bernie Moore 1935–1947 128 83 39 6 0.672 43 28 4 0.600 1 3 1 2 0
21 Gaynell Tinsley 1948–1954 75 35 34 6 0.507 17 25 6 0.417 0 1 0 0 0 SEC Coach of the Year (1949)[16]
AP SEC Coach of the Year (1949)[16]
22 Paul Dietzel 1955–1961 73 46 24 3 0.651 26 16 2 0.614 2 1 0 2 1 – 1958 AFCA Coach of the Year (1958)[17]
SEC Coach of the Year (1958)[16]
AP SEC Coach of the Year (1958)[16]
23 Charles McClendon 1962–1979 203 137 59 7 0.692 63 41 3 0.603 7 6 0 1 0 AFCA Coach of the Year (1970)[18]
SEC Coach of the Year (1969, 1970)[16]
AP SEC Coach of the Year (1969)[16]
UPI SEC Coach of the Year (1969, 1970)[16]
24 Bo Rein
[A 8]
1980
25 Jerry Stovall 1980–1983 45 22 21 2 0.511 9 13 2 0.417 0 1 0 0 0 Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award (1982)[19]
26 Bill Arnsparger 1984–1986 36 26 8 2 0.750 13 3 2 0.778 0 3 0 1 0 SEC Coach of the Year (1984, 1986)[16]
AP SEC Coach of the Year (1986)[16]
27 Mike Archer 1987–1990 46 27 18 1 0.598 15 12 0 0.556 1 1 0 1 0
28 Curley Hallman 1991–1994 44 16 28 0 0.364 10 21 0 0.323 0 0 0 0 0 0
29 Gerry DiNardo 1995–1999 57 32 24 1 0.570 17 20 1 0.461 3 0 0 2 0 0
Int Hal Hunter
[A 9]
1999 1 1 0 1.000 1 0 1.000 0 0 0 0 0
30 Nick Saban 2000–2004 64 48 16 0.750 28 12 0.700 3 2 3 2 1 – 2003 AP Coach of the Year (2003)[21]
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (2003)[22]
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (2003)[23]
AP SEC Coach of the Year (2003)[16]
31 Les Miles 2005–2016 148 114 34 0.770 62 28 0.689 7 4 3 2 1 – 2007 AP Coach of the Year (2011)[24]
SEC Coach of the Year (2011)[25]
Home Depot Coach of the Year Award (2011)[26]
32 Ed Orgeron 2016–2021 71 51 20 0 0.738 29 14 0 0.674 4 1 0 1 1 1 – 2019 Associated Press Coach of the Year (2019)

Home Depot Coach of the Year (2019)

Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award (2019)

George Munger Award (2019)

Paul “Bear” Bryant Award (2019)

SEC Coach of the Year (2019)}

Int Brad Davis 2021 1 0 1 0 .000 0 0 0 - 0 1 0 0 0 0

33 Brian Kelly 2022–present 27 20 7 0.741 12 4 0.750 2 0 1 0 0

Notes

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  1. ^ Although the first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902, it has been continuously played since the 1916 game, and is recognized as the oldest bowl game by the NCAA. "—" indicates any season prior to 1916 when postseason games were not played.[12]
  2. ^ A running total of the number of head coaches, with coaches who served separate tenures being counted only once. Interim head coaches are represented with "Int" and are not counted in the running total. "—" indicates the team played but either without a coach or no coach is on record. "X" indicates an interim year without play.
  3. ^ Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.[13]
  4. ^ When computing the win–loss percentage, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss.[14]
  5. ^ Statistics correct as of the end of the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
  6. ^ LSU did not field a team for the 1918 season due to World War I.[3]
  7. ^ Divisional champions have advanced to the SEC Championship Game since the institution of divisional play beginning in the 1992 season. Since that time, LSU has competed as a member of the SEC West.[15]
  8. ^ Bo Rein was hired in November 1979, but was killed in a plane crash on January 10, 1980, without coaching an official game at LSU.[5][6]
  9. ^ Hal Hunter was named interim head coach for the final game of the 1999 season, following the termination of Gerry DiNardo as head coach.[20]

References

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General

  • "LSU Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 29, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  • 2010 LSU Football Media Guide. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: LSU Sports Information Office. 2010. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.

Specific

  1. ^ a b c d e 2010 LSU Tigers Football Media Guide, p. 180
  2. ^ "Tigers introduce Saban's successor". ESPN.com. ESPN.com news services. January 4, 2005. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d 2010 LSU Tigers Football Media Guide, pp. 154–163
  4. ^ National Collegiate Athletic Association (2010). 2010 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: NCAA.org. pp. 68–77. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Rein gets 4-year contract to coach L.S.U. football". The New York Times. December 1, 1979. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  6. ^ a b Oller, Rob (January 5, 2008). "Promising start ended tragically". The Columbus Dispatch. Columbus, Ohio: Dispatch.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  7. ^ Dana Bible at the College Football Hall of Fame
  8. ^ Michael "Iron Mike" Donahue at the College Football Hall of Fame
  9. ^ Lawrence "Biff" Jones at the College Football Hall of Fame
  10. ^ Bernie Moore at the College Football Hall of Fame
  11. ^ Charlie "Cholly Mac" McClendon at the College Football Hall of Fame
  12. ^ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2011). Bowl/All-Star Game Records (PDF). Indianapolis, Indiana: NCAA. pp. 5–10. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  13. ^ Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  14. ^ Finder, Chuck (September 6, 1987). "Big plays help Paterno to 200th". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  15. ^ Harwell, Hoyt (November 30, 1990). "SEC sets division lineups". The Tuscaloosa News. Tuscaloosa, Alabama. p. 1C. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 2010 LSU Tigers Football Media Guide, p. 174
  17. ^ USA Today College Football Encyclopedia. New York City: Skyhorse Publishing. 2009. p. 106. ISBN 9781602396777. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  18. ^ USA Today College Football Encyclopedia. New York City: Skyhorse Publishing. 2009. p. 270. ISBN 9781602396777. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  19. ^ "Jerry Stovall: Walter Camp 1982 Coach of the Year". Walter Camp Football Foundation. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  20. ^ "DiNardo out at LSU". CNN/Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. November 16, 1999. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  21. ^ "Saban beats out USC's Carroll for award". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 12, 2003. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  22. ^ "All-time Eddie Robinson Award Winners". Football Writers Association of America. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  23. ^ "Coach of the Year Award: List of past recipients". Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  24. ^ "LSU's Les Miles wins coach of year". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 21, 2011. Archived from the original on January 9, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  25. ^ "Les Miles named SEC coach of the year by his peers". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans: NOLA.com. December 11, 2011. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  26. ^ "LSU coach Les Miles receives a Coach of the Year award". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans: NOLA.com. December 7, 2011. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.