The news of the firing of Florida head coach Ron Zook madeheadlines Monday. After going 4-3 overall and 2-3 in theSoutheastern Conference, Zook could not compare to the success offormer coach Steve Spurrier, who led Florida to SEC domination inthe 1990s. One of Zook’s bigger successes was beating LSUduring its national championship run last season, but theexpectations that came after replacing Spurrier were high.
LSU is experiencing some of the same high expectations that Zookwas faced with. The Tigers are coming off a championship season andfans find it easy to expect no less.
“Anything less than a national championship and everyoneis disappointed,” said coach Nick Saban. “Lastyear’s accomplishments are this year’sexpectations.”
Those expectations that booing fans have developed does not putpressure on Saban or his team, he said.
“Where this team is and where we want to take them is thepressure I put on us,” Saban said. “I don’t feelany pressure. I’m going to do this job as well as I can do itand for as long as I can do it.”
One reason pressure is not on Saban is because he said he feelsthere are a lot more important things in his life and in theworld.
“There are bad things that happen every day to people allover the place that are a lot more important than this footballgame,” Saban said. “We should all have some gratitudeand love in our heart from some of those things.”
Saban may find other things in life more important, but he saidhis focus is concentrating on the team’s performance.
“How anyone can think what’s happening with our team— our team, our coaches, myself and anybody on our staffdoesn’t feel more so — that’s what you call beingself absorbed,” Saban said. “I understand why everyoneis frustrated, but we aren’t happy about iteither.”
Saban said the standards of last year’s team are stillthere, but players and the maturity level from last year is not.Players are aware of their position, but said they do not feelpressure that their performance will affect Saban’s coachingposition at LSU.
“[Saban’s success] is something you’re awareof, but you can’t worry about,” said junior offensivelineman Andrew Whitworth. “You can’t worry about thecoaching situation. When you’re recruited, you are remindednot to go somewhere for a coach because you never know when theywill leave and you can’t worry about that. You have to focuson your teammates.”
Players may not be concerned with Saban’s future plans,but they said the team does not see a reason to worry just yet.
“We’re still winning — not every team is thesame,” said junior tight end David Jones. “A few yearsback Miami won the national championship and the next year theylost two games and still had a great season. We’re still onthe verge of having a great season.”
A repeat of a national championship may be out of the question,but players said they still have confidence in another one andbelieve Saban is still the man to lead them there.
“I don’t see him going anywhere any timesoon,” Jones said. “We may pull out of anotherchampionship in a few years. We got a lot of great young coreplayers.”