Passion would be the wrong word to associate with the LSU basketball fan base in recent years.
New basketball coach and long-time Tiger Johnny Jones remembers when it was the only word.
“I am going to try and bring back the passion and excitement LSU basketball had in its glory days,” the former LSU assistant coach and player said in his official introduction last week.
Those words were meant to announce Jones’ focus on the fans, but they’ve also inspired a formal push within the Athletic Department to “Bring Back the Passion.”
In honor of Jones’ No. 12 from his days as a Tiger guard in the early 1980s, non-renewal 2012-13 season tickets deposits are $12 until May 12. Twelve fans of those who entered the contest will win season tickets for only $12.
It’s an attempt at a fresh start for a stale fan experience.
LSU averaged 8,780 in paid attendance during Trent Johnson’s four seasons, but actual attendance was often closer to half that total since the 2008-09 SEC championship campaign, Johnson’s first season.
The squeak of players’ sneakers often echoed through the PMAC, the lower area of the student section was largely comprised of diehards and the building felt more like a mausoleum than a home arena.
Whether it was John Brady’s supposed arrogance or Johnson’s monotonous personality, the LSU bench didn’t help the cause.
But Jones has already flashed an electric personality, one that could endear the program beyond wins and losses.
“The fervor and passion he’s shown is the Johnny Jones I’ve always known,” said Senior Associate Information Director Kent Lowe, who has been at LSU since 1988. “Winning is a key, but he wants to reach you beyond that.”
Jones’ roots within the program and the local community are a 180-degree turn from the arms-length coaching style present since former coach Dale Brown retired in 1997.
“He’ll have everybody reconnected,” said former LSU forward Collis Temple. “Johnny’s a true Tiger, and he embraces all the flair and passion of the total LSU experience. When you cut him, he bleeds purple and gold.”
Jones name-dropped LSU greats like Rudy Macklin, Ethan Martin and Anthony Wilson to highlight his connection with the basketball glory days, but those names mean little to the recruits or students he’s trying to reach.
“Basketball’s never been a big deal here that I can remember,” said LSU junior and Baton Rouge native Oliver Navo. “I’ve only heard about the Deaf Dome. I want to bring it back.”
There’s been a similar bravado from Jones in the 11 days since LSU announced his hiring.
“I have gotten into the business of cutting down nets, hanging banners, ordering championship rings and watching kids walk across the stage with a degree in hand,” Jones said.
His North Texas teams won two Sun Belt conference tournaments and tied for a regular-season title during Jones’ 11 seasons as head coach.
Inconsistency hasn’t been the only culprit in the lethargic LSU hoops fan base. The Tigers have played a notoriously dull brand of ball during most of the last 15 years, and averaged just 65 points last season, 242nd in the country.
Jones’ Mean Green squads led the conference in scoring the last two seasons, and his teams aren’t afraid to pressure the ball.
“We will get after it and it will be a style that my players enjoy playing, but more importantly, the fans will embrace it because we’ll be fun to watch,” Jones said.
 
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Contact Chris Abshire at [email protected].