LSU Fires DiNardo

Gerry DiNardo, whose team has lost eight straight games and is winless in the Southeastern Conference, was fired Monday as LSU's football coach.

Assistant coach Hal Hunter will coach the team for the final game against Arkansas on Nov. 26.

LSU chancellor Mark Emmert said DiNardo will be paid $600,000 to cover his $150,000-a-year base salary for the four years left on his five-year contract. He will not get the rest of the package, which includes $300,000 a year in radio and television appearances and $135,000 a year in endorsements.

DiNardo met with school officials Monday, two days after a 20-7 loss to Houston. He cleaned out his desk and left immediately after the meeting.

"It was very emotional," athletic director Joe Dean said. "He was emotional, I was emotional. It wasn't easy."

The search for a new coach will begin immediately, Emmert said. He hopes a recommendation can be made at the LSU Board of Supervisors meeting on Dec. 10.

DiNardo did not attend Monday's news conference and planned to meet with the team Tuesday afternoon, Dean said.

The Tigers have had two straight losing seasons, going 4-7 last year. They are 2-8 this year, and have lost 14 of their last 15 SEC games.

"Basically, he just didn't win enough football games," Dean said. "He is a man of great integrity and great character. It's too bad he didn't have his losing seasons first and the three good years later."

Emmert said DiNardo was given the option of staying until after the Arkansas game but decided to leave immediately.

"We've concluded that a change of leadership is necessary," Emmert said at a news conference.

DiNardo came to LSU in 1995 from Vanderbilt. He replaced Curley Hallman, who accounted for four of the previous six straight losing seasons. DiNardo had a 26-9-1 record his first three years, winning three bowl games and capturing co-championships in the SEC West in 1996 and 1997.

But the Tigers, rated by many a preseason favorite to win the SEC West in 1998, slid to 4-7.

With one conference game left, LSU is 0-7 in the SEC and has lost eight straight games for the first time in school history.

A combination of near-misses against SEC opponents Mississippi State and Alabama where each time LSU came within one play of winning and the lifeless performance against Houston apparently were the last gasps for DiNardo.

"If he'd won those gameshe'd still be the coach here," Dean said. "If he'd won them I'm sure they would have played better against Houston. Winning does that."

Off-field problems shadowed the team much of the season. Co-captain Larry Foster was arrested, charged with purse snatching and found to have warrants against him for issuing bad checks. Cornerback Mark Roman and safety Clarence LeBlanc were ruled ineligible, accused of inappropriate contact with a sports agent.

This month, two current and two former LSU players were arrested after being investigated for illegal use of a telephone access code.

Also, there was the recent arrest of a man accused of bribery and violations of sports agent laws for allegedly offering money to an assistant coach and an academic counselor.

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