MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / August 14, 1999

BATON ROUGE – LSU coach Gerry DiNardo knows what it’s like to fight for his coaching career.

DiNardo experienced it at Colorado where he was an assistant coach for a team that went 2-8-1, 4-7 and 1-10 the first three seasons before the Buffalos turned it around and eventually won a national championship in 1990.

He experienced it daily while head coach at Vandebilt despite posting as many wins in four wins as the Commodores had in their previous seven.

Now, DiNardo, who led LSU to three bowl wins in his first three years, is experiencing the same thing after the Tigers suffered a disappointing 4-7 season in 1998 after being picked to win the SEC Western Division.

“You were constantly fighting for your life,” DiNardo said of his Vandebilt experience. “I’m like that now. It energizes you. It’s a great thing. Ihaven’t lost many fights. I’ve lost some but I’m not planning to lose thisone.”DiNardo said he learned from last year, including paying more attention to detail. But the most important thing he might have learned is theimportance of having enthusiasm.

“We lost some enthusiasm in the fourth year,” DiNardo said. “Enthusiasmis the window to the heart. It makes a difference. Looking back at lastyear, I could have done a better job enthusiastically.”DiNardo and his staff want to make sure that does not happen again. Seniorwide receiver Andy Stroup, an East St. John graduate, said he could see thedifference in the coaches this spring.

“The coaches are on a mission to change it,” Stroup said of last season’s mistakes. “I never saw the coaches so motivated. They are ready to go.”In fact, DiNardo opened Wednesday’s Media Day press conference by stating that “I’m enthusiastic to be here.”DiNardo wasn’t the only coach. Lou Tepper, who came under fire in hisfirst year as defensive coordinator last year, was asked by DiNardo to write a letter to his players. Tepper, who has written a 312-page bookabout how to play linebacker, wrote just five words in large print – “I’m jacked! Are you ready?” The Tigers head into DiNardo’s fifth year with a three-way battle at quarterback between Josh Booty, Rohan Davey and Craig Nall. Both DiNardoand offensive coordinator Bob McConnell said it’s still an ongoing evaluation process, but DiNardo said he would like to have a starter chosen no later than 10 days before the opening game of the season (Sept.

4 against San Jose State).

“We want the one that in everything you do, he does better than everybody else,” DiNardo said. “The players know how tight the battle is so they willsupport whoever wins the job.”Senior tailback Rondell “Rock” Mealey, a Destrehan grad, leads an otherwise inexperienced group of running backs. Mealey, who was theTigers’ second leading rusher last season with 334 yards, is being held out of scrimmages after coming off a knee injury in the offseason but said he is at 100 percent and is ready for the season.

“I’m fine, I’m ready to roll,”Mealey said.

DiNardo said that he knows what Mealey can do and that the situation allows the younger backs, Josh Reed, Domanick Davis and LaBrandon Toefield, to show what they can do.

“Tailback could be a great situation for us,” McConnell said. “Josh had agreat spring. With Reed and Rondell better and the other young guys, itcould be a deep position for us.”DiNardo said he believes that the team needs nine to 10 dependable offensive linemen. Unlike the past two years when the Tigers had AlanFaneca and Todd McClure, they have not yet found a dominate player on the line. But DiNardo said he believes the line has a chance to be deep anddependable.

DiNardo also likes the depth at tight end where Joe Domingeaux returns after missing the 1998 season to join Kyle Kipps, who had a fine freshman season, and Jamal Pack. DiNardo said the depth will allow the Tigers touse the position more creatively.

The concern on offense comes at the wide receiver spot where depth might be a problem.

“I’m not happy with the depth,” DiNardo said. “I’m happy with the quality.”Abram Booty, Larry Foster and Reggie Robinson look to be the top three receivers. The Tigers will also be looking for sophomore Ed Dangerfield tostep up and punter Jeremy Witten may be tried at the position to take advantage of his speed. Fullback Tommy Banks and F-back Robert Royalmay also be used more in the passing game.

While the Tigers will pass more in 1999 than they have in recent years with Herb Tyler at quarterback, McConnell assured that the team will still look to run the football.

“We want to be a physical football team,” McConnell said. “We are going tomore things passing but we won’t ever get away from being a physical team under coach DiNardo.”Defense was a concern for LSU in 1998. The Tigers ranked next to last inthe SEC in total defense and were last in pass defense deficiency.

Although the Tigers lost Anthony McFarland on the line, DiNardo said that the depth there is better than it has been the last four years. The staffaddressed the drop linebacking spot this week by putting hawk linebacker Bubba Alexander there. Depth at linebacker and in the secondary are theconcerns on defense but both DiNardo and Tepper said the Tigers must also do a better job of rushing up front with four players.

“If you can’t rush the passer with four people, your chances for success really diminish,” DiNardo said. “That is one of the critical things weworked on. You have to have a rush.”Tepper said the team came out of the spring with a better understanding of the system, more enthusiasm and thus, more productivity.

“The execution and understanding will be much better,” Tepper promises for the 1999 season. “I expect it to be better this year. I Don’t think wewere a fundamentally-sound team last year. But if you are not certain ofwhat you are doing, it’s hard to be sound fundamentally.”Another concern in recent years has been the place kicking. Freshman JohnCorbello will battle incumbents Kris Kessler and Danny Boyd for the job.

DiNardo is also becoming more involved in the kicking game.

DiNardo said that this year’s squad reminds him a lot of his first team in 1995 and that anybody who fits the bill at a position will be given a chance, whether it be a freshman or a senior.

Now the goal is to get the program back on the track it was on two years ago.

“To improve,” DiNardo said of the goals for 1999. “My expectations arethat we improve in the program in every way from A to Z, on and off the field. To have a better team and record than last year.”Every year, we put up goals. Our first goal is a winning season. If we dothat in the sixth game, we go on to the next goal. Our last goal is anational championship.”

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