When LSU offered then-Furman University coach Brian Lee the head coaching position in 2004, his friends and mentors told him not to take job.
“They said you can’t win at LSU in soccer, there aren’t enough players in Louisiana,” Lee said. “They said the program has struggled historically, it just can’t happen there. But I trusted my gut and the environment here.”
Lee, now in his 11th season as LSU head coach, earned his 250th career win against Indiana University on Sept. 6 in the final game of the Stomp in the Swamp tournament.
He coached at Furman University for 10 seasons, leading the team to six conference championships and four NCAA tournament appearances.
Lee said the switch from Furman to LSU was a tough transition for him. Furman University is a small, private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. One of the first impressions LSU made on Lee when he arrived was the support he had from the entire state of Louisiana.
“We have a whole state to support us,” Lee said. “There’s no Florida State [University] to our Florida, it’s just us here in Louisiana. The pride on campus helped me think that we could turn the program around.”
Lee managed to adopt a winning culture around LSU soccer when he arrived in Baton Rouge. He led the Tigers to three Southeastern Conference Western Division titles in his first five years with the program. He also brought a international culture to the team by recruiting foreign players from across the globe. The Tigers currently have nine international players and one international coach on their roster.
Lee said his most memorable experiences aren’t big games or championships but rather the bond he’s formed with his players over his 21 years as a coach.
“It’s really about the relationships and seeing people change for the better,” Lee said. “Whether it’s a kid who struggles to get a degree and comes through in the end or just going through life situations with them, those are the fondest memories I have over the [past] 21 years.”
The first recruiting class Lee brought in is special to him, he said. He still has the graduation picture of the three athletes who were part of that class hanging in his office. One player was an All-American, while another was a starter and the last player rarely played, but he said the path they took to earn their degrees are what he remembers the most.
Lee said he is happy with the influence the LSU program has had on the grassroots of Louisiana soccer. His team is currently 5-1-2 and is coming off a win against No. 15 Duke University, LSU’s first victory against a ranked team since 2013. He said he doesn’t focus on his rising amount of career wins. He is just appreciative of how much the game of soccer has influenced his life.
“Those are just numbers. I’m just happy to have done this for so long and enjoy the experience,” Lee said. “You’re really lucky if you’re a 44-year-old man who has been able to spend his entire working life coaching, enjoying these experiences and spending it with a team where you grow together and get to compete against other teams. It’s a really fun lifestyle.”