Coach John Brady gets LSU to first Final Four in twenty years

LSU’s basketball program is no stranger to having amazing athletes put on the Tiger jersey, but tournament success has sometimes eluded the program. In 2006, Coach John Brady knew he had the winning players, with high-flyers like Tyrus Thomas, who seemed to take every shot at his basket as a personal attack, and bangers like Glen “Big Baby” Davis down on the low blocks. But those players would need to sacrifice their individual accolades for the overall success of the team.

Coach Brady reinforced his philosophy of “Responsibility + Accountability = Success”, a philosophy that asks all players to be answerable for their actions on and off the court, developing a sense of personal pride and trust in their teammates. With this continued emphasis on team, LSU battled their way to the 2006 Final Four - their first trip in twenty years. After winning the Southeastern Conference with a 14-2 record, it was clear the Tigers had gelled as a team. In the tournament, the Tigers played some of their most electrifying basketball ever, knocking off the nation’s #1 seeded Duke, following that up with an overtime thriller against Texas to make the Final Four. While the national title eluded them, LSU coaches, players and fans can be confident they have a formula for future national championship success.

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