John Brady, who had been the men’s basketball coach at LSU for nearly 11 seasons, was fired Thursday during a meeting with Athletic Director Skip Bertman. “I met with John [Brady] and informed him that LSU and I decided to make a change of leadership of the men’s program,” Bertman said during a Friday press conference. “Let me say John [Brady] accepted the news with some excellent poise and dignity, although naturally he’s disappointed.” Bertman later called Brady a “gamer” and praised him for his commitment to improving the team throughout this tumultuous season. Brady, who was the second-longest tenured coach in the Southeastern Conference, came to LSU in 1997 after six seasons as the basketball coach at Samford University in Homewood, Ala. During his reign at LSU, the team posted a 192-139 overall record, three SEC Western Division titles, two SEC titles, two Sweet 16 appearances and a Final Four appearance. He also garnered SEC Coach of the Year honors after the 1999-2000 and 2005-2006 seasons. Despite that relative success, LSU also had its fair share of disappointing seasons during Brady’s regime. The team was 8-13 overall and 1-6 in the SEC at the time of Brady’s firing. LSU is on pace to finish last in the conference and has finished last in the SEC West four times in Brady’s 10 full seasons. A visibly shaken Brady expressed dissent with the decision to terminate his contract. “I am not a quitter,” Brady said. “I am too competitive to do that. I understand decisions are made, and you have to respect the people that make those decisions. You don’t always have to agree with them, but you can certainly respect them.” Bertman said the decision to make the termination was based on the team’s lack of wins since its Final Four run in 2006. As a result of his termination, Brady will receive the remainder of his salary this season and his base salary of $300,000 for the remaining three years of his contract unless he finds employment elsewhere. Players on the team supported Brady throughout his entire speech, giving him two standing ovations during Friday’s press conference. Several of them said it will be different not having Brady on the sidelines. “It’s very difficult,” said junior guard Garrett Temple. “I was thinking about coach not being there for my senior day to shake his hand and stuff like that.” Temple has known Brady for several years dating back to 1999 when his older brother, Collis Temple III, played at LSU. “What I will miss the most about him is how he practices,” said junior forward Tasmin Mitchell. “He was a very energetic guy who said what was on the top of his head.” Associate head coach Butch Pierre will replace Brady on an interim basis for the rest of the season – his first head coaching experience in his 24-year coaching carrier. Pierre has been an assistant coach at LSU since Brady was hired in 1997. “He’s not only a coaching compadre of mine,” Brady said. “He’s one of my best friends.” Pierre played at Mississippi State while Brady was an assistant coach, and their relationship goes back to Pierre’s high school days when he played at St. Amant High School while Brady was the head coach at Crowley High School. “It’s a sad situation,” Pierre said. “Coach Brady and I have been together for 11 years and unfortunately, in this business, it happens.” LSU lost a close game to Tennessee on Saturday, and while he was not able to come away with a win, Pierre’s first game lived up to the high praise his predecessor had given him a day before. “[Pierre is] as ready as one can be,” Brady said. “He has been here. He knows the players, and he recruited most of them.”
—-Contact Johanathan Brooks at [email protected]
Brady fired as basketball coach
February 11, 2008