New LSU men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson is in the process of putting together a coaching staff – a staff that will reportedly strongly resemble former coach John Brady’s.
After meeting with the remaining staff early this past week, Johnson has offered assistant jobs to coaches Butch Pierre and John Treloar, according to multiple Louisiana newspapers.
“I’ve asked Butch and John to come back,” Johnson told The Times-Picayune on Saturday. “We’re waiting to get some of the details out of the way, but the ball is in their court.”
Johnson has also reportedly offered an assistant coaching position to former Louisiana Tech coach Keith Richard.
“Keith Richard and I have agreed for him to be on board, and now we’re working on contract terms,” Johnson told The Advocate on Friday.
Johnson said when he was hired that Richard would be his prime target as an assistant.
“I have nothing set in stone other than I really want to pursue Keith Richard,” Johnson said April 10.
Johnson faced Richard’s Louisiana Tech teams as Nevada’s coach between 1999 and 2004.
“The thing that stuck out in my mind was that his teams played so hard and are so well coached,” Johnson said. “He’s a guy who always struck me as a very, very good coach, but more importantly is also a very good person. Louisiana Tech didn’t have the resources we had at Nevada, and he still always competed.”
Senior Associate Sports Information Director Kent Lowe said there is currently no official announcement regarding the coaching staff.
“There won’t be any official announcement until everything is taken care of and coach Johnson has it all worked out,” Lowe said.
Johnson told The Advocate the process could take a couple weeks.
“It’s my intention to keep [Pierre and Treloar], and I think a final decision will be reached in a week or two,” Johnson said.
Pierre was reached by phone Sunday on a recruiting trip but declined to comment on the reports.
One LSU player said the team had not been told anything yet about the status of the coaching staff.
While Pierre and Treloar are rumored to be staying, assistant coach Chad Dollar will be leaving LSU to become Brady’s top assistant at Arkansas State, according to The Advocate and The Times-Picayune.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to branch out and get away from solely recruiting,” Dollar told The Times-Picayune. “I’ll get to learn about things like running a program, academics and how to deal with administration. I had some other options, but this one is the best for me.”
Jerry Scott, Arkansas State assistant director of athletics for media relations, had no comment on Dollar’s connection to the job.
—-Contact Jerit Roser at [email protected]