LSU Tigers news: Brian Kelly’s coaching rehab, SEC honors, baseball, and more

We’re catching you up tonight on the significant storylines emerging from Death Valley. There’s never a dull moment with the LSU Tigers across several programs. 

Our daily wrap-up begins with a big Tigers baseball win against the top national foe.

LSU baseball downs the Horns in Texas

On Tuesday, the LSU Tigers edged the Texas Longhorns 3-0 in Austin. The contest between college baseball juggernauts was scoreless, heading into the final frame. LSU put a pair of runners on base in the top of the 9th inning. Infielder Gavin Dugas took care of the rest, sending a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall for a three-run homer. The Horns could not answer as the Tigers earned their 7th win.

Southpaw sophomore Nate Ackenhausen earned the win after tossing three-and-a-third innings of scoreless ball. The Tigers now travel back to Baton Rouge, where they’ll take on the Butler Bulldogs on Friday night.

LSU Football’s new special team boss

The LSU Tigers announced John Jancek’s promotion from defensive analyst to special teams coordinator. The move comes days after the Bayou Bengals moved Brian Polian from the sidelines to an off-field role. In Jancek, LSU’s special teams welcome a defensive mind with more than three decades of college coaching experience. Moreover, Jancek recently joined the Tigers after two years as a defensive quality control coach for the Georgia Bulldogs.

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Jancek was barely grounded in Baton Rouge before his promotion. However, few LSU Tigers fans will argue with elevating a coach partially responsible for the 2020-21 Georgia defenses. In addition to his special teams role, Jancek will coach JACK linebackers and manage the LSU pass rush. Such is welcome news for star-returning linebacker Harold Perkins.

Jancek’s promotion created a vacancy on Brian Kelly’s staff, and the LSU head coach quickly filled it.

Is Brian Kelly’s staff the new head coach rehab?

The LSU Tigers football program got a tad smarter on Tuesday. In a very Nick Saban’ish move, the Bayou Bengals added Bob Diaco to the football staff in an analyst role. Of course, Saban is relatively famous for adding recently fired head coaches to his program to serve as analysts. So is Brian Kelly’s staff the next hot spot for head football coaching rehab?

Diaco was the UConn football head coach from 2014-2016. Before UConn, he served as associate head coach, defensive coordinator, and linebackers coach under Kelly at Notre Dame. Diaco jumped around after his UConn dismissal and most recently served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Purdue.

Despite his recent transience, Diaco remains a bright defensive mind. His rapport with Kelly gives the Tigers another advantage for the next season. One might assume Diaco is eventually elevated to defensive coordinator, assuming Matt House earns a head coaching job in the near future.

LSU women’s basketball earns SEC accolades

On Tuesday, the SEC announced honors earned by multiple LSU Tigers women’s basketball players. Forward Angel Reese was voted First Team All-SEC and earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team. Guard Alexis Morris joins Reese with First Team All-SEC honors, while Sa’myah Smith and Flau’Jae Johnson achieved All-Freshman Team honors. Additionally, Johnson was named the SEC Freshman of the Year.

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The Bayou Bengals will take their All-SEC accolades to the conference tournament that tips off on Wednesday. As the tournament’s 2-seed, LSU is merely practicing and spectating until Friday.