Matt McMahon 'Reenergized' For Year 2 In Baton Rouge
Matt McMahon has “the opportunity of a lifetime” to represent the LSU brand and bring the Tigers back to the standard they are capable of reaching.
The first year in Baton Rouge gave McMahon the chance to learn more about himself and his coaching ways. It provided the chance to dig deep and reevaluate the pillars to success at LSU.
After an offseason of retooling the roster and seeing a collective buy-in from those within the program, McMahon is reenergized about what’s to come this season.
Previous Success, Using It To Fuel Year 2
Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time to bring a defeated program back to relevancy and that’s the situation McMahon inherited. There were no expectations in year one, and fast forward to year two, this program feels more comfortable.
It isn’t McMahon’s first rodeo. He’s rebuilt a program from the ground up while at Murray State and he understands what must occur in order to see success.
“It was a very rewarding experience at Murray State. Being there 11 years total, seven as a head coach, winning conference championships, going to NCAA Tournaments, having an NBA Rookie of the Year and all of those things was awesome,” McMahon told LSU Country.
“When this opportunity presented itself, when you look at the power of the LSU brand being the only power five school in the state, the passionate fan base, there is a rich tradition here with four Final Fours and three of the NBA’s Top 75 players of all time. I think sometimes you don't really take the job for what it is but what it could become. That was really appealing for me and my family, and obviously we got a lot of work to do, but blessed and excited to have the opportunity to do it.”
McMahon understands what it means to represent LSU. From the women’s basketball program, to football, to baseball, it’s endless success with the purple and gold. McMahon wants to get the Tigers to where they belong.
Flipping the Script Starts With Recruitment, Program Buy-In
There aren’t many universities capable of what LSU is capable of. The opportunity to represent the purple and gold means something to McMahon, and with the resources in Baton Rouge, he’s excited about what’s to come.
It starts with dominating the recruiting trail. An offseason where the Tigers reeled in a Top 10 Transfer Portal class, it proves players believe in what McMahon is selling.
“This is an awesome place, and it's a phenomenal opportunity, so it starts with a time investment and people building those relationships. Obviously, recruiting has to be the foundation of what you're doing,” McMahon said. “Acquiring great talent, and then creating a winning culture that demands buy-in and commitment to doing the things that lead to winning.”
McMahon took over a depleted roster. He took over a challenging situation that some may have shied away from. Despite this, he’s put his foot down, understanding the goals in front of him can be achieved, but he must lay the foundation first.
“Sometimes it's a lot easier said than done, but I think you can always come back to time investment, relationships, and perseverance,” McMahon said. “It is challenging when you first take over a job, especially when you don't have any players or any foundation, so it does require some toughness from a mindset standpoint, some perseverance, some grit to really lock in and build things on a daily basis.”
The LSU Brand
The aforementioned “dominating the recruiting trail” is an important piece to success for McMahon. At LSU, the program sells itself, but in the midst of a challenging time, there are pieces that this coaching staff tells recruits.
There are opportunities to help get the Tigers back to the standard while representing a powerful LSU brand.
“It’s an easy sell here. You're looking for people who want to be a part of something special here. I think it's a unique opportunity for a player to come to LSU and be part of the reason why LSU gets back to the national stage, that standard, and you see that you're able to capitalize on the success of the other sports, the power of the brand, the passion of the fan base,” McMahon said.
“I think when you talk about those three letters, whether you're in Miami or Seattle, or Boston or Phoenix, everybody knows who it is. Everyone knows what those three letters stand for. I think everyone can see the opportunities. When you come in and you perform at a high level, the doors that LSU can open for you.”
The Portal Haul
LSU put a focus in hitting the NCAA Transfer Portal with force. This program secured several Louisiana natives in Vanderbilt’s Jordan Wright, Tulane’s Jalen Cook and Santa Clara’s Carlos Stewart, among others, in order to create a competitive roster.
McMahon and Co. do not plan on utilizing the portal for the long haul, but for now, it was key in getting this program back on track.
“We don't intend to live in the portal long term, but in the short term it was a necessity to get the program back to stable ground,” McMahon said. “We are excited to be able to go out and sign a Top 10 portal class in the country.
“I think as coaches, we have to reevaluate the value of signing a Top 10 portal class in the country because those are older, experienced players who have proven they can play at the college level. When we attacked the portal, we were looking for guys coming from winning programs from the top nine conferences in the country who wanted to come here and make an impact.”
Wright, Cook and Stewart are certainly the headliners, but there are also a few other key pieces that standout, namely former McDonald’s All-American Daimion Collins.
LSU added, in total, six players via the portal. With six experienced, reliable guys added to the roster, McMahon is satisfied with the work this coaching staff did in adding fresh faces.
“I think you see four double-figure scorers, multiple conference players from other leagues, a former McDonald's All American. The final piece of it was some of the ties to the state of Louisiana. I think that's number one,” McMahon said. “They're good players, but I think there is a certain pride that our roster will take in putting that LSU jersey on. I think that means something and we wanted to really attack it in that way."
The Jalen Cook Waiver Situation
Tulane transfer Jalen Cook is the top transfer LSU reeled in this offseason. It’s been an interesting path for Cook, whose career started in Baton Rouge before transferring out.
Cook went from LSU to Tulane and now back to LSU. A second-time transfer, he needs a waiver to be eligible. At this point in time, a waiver has not been approved and this program awaits a ruling on the status of his eligibility.
“We don’t have any information, but we're still awaiting the ruling on if he receives his waiver,” McMahon told LSU Country. “I think he has a really good case. It's out of our hands and you don't have a timeline. We are certainly hoping to have him available this season.
High-Energy Off The Floor
When watching McMahon during practice, he’s a high-energy, vocal head coach. He doesn’t sit back and put off a calm mentality. When building his coaching staff, he made sure to surround himself with other guys who put off the same energy.
“That's just how I function best. I like being around high energy people. I think it becomes contagious. Just as I think low energy negative people become contagious, and so when you're at one of our practices, we embody the energy that I think is necessary to get better and keep improving your players individually and collectively as a team,” McMahon said. “I think it's up to the coaching staff and the leadership of the organization to set that tone. You're always trying to get better and improve.”
Desire To Bring Back The LSU Standard
Year 1 taught McMahon about both himself and the hurdles that need to be jumped in order to succeed. After time in Baton Rouge, he’s set up LSU with an opportunity to steadily improve as time goes on.
Now, with Year 2 approaching, the Tigers will utilize fresh talent with program buy-in to take that next step with McMahon at the helm.
“There is certainly a great deal of gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to get to represent the LSU program, to get to learn from the best coaches in the country,” McMahon said. “From our great administration and just the overall alignment that you have in LSU, not only the athletic department, but in the university leadership team.
“I'm very thankful. Obviously, I understand the work that lies ahead, but at the same time, there's great gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to get to do it.”
