LSU Tigers

LSU football had its inaugural season in 1893. The LSU Tigers joined the Southern Conference in 1922. They won the conference championship in 1932. In 1933, the Tigers joined the Southeastern Conference. 

The Tigers made noise instantly in the SEC after going undefeated in their first season. In 1935, the Tigers won their first-ever SEC championship. During this season, defensive lineman Gaynell Tinsley was named the first consensus All-American from LSU. 

Paul Dietzel was named head coach in 1955. After a slow start, the Tigers were crowned National Champions in 1958 after finishing 11-0.

Charles McClendon took over from 1962 until 1979. The Tigers had winning records in 16 winning seasons during McClendon’s 18-year stint. They went 9-3 overall and 5-0 in conference play in 1970 and won the SEC championship.

McClendon finished his career at LSU with a 137–59–7 overall record and a 7-6 bowl record. 

Bill Arnsparger coached the Tigers from 1984-1986. Arnsparger spent just three seasons with the Tigers finishing with a 26-8-2 overall record and 0-3 in bowl games.

However, he did lead the Tigers to an SEC championship in 1986. Despite his success as a head coach, he opted to go to the University of Florida to become Athletic Director. 

Curley Hallman took over in 1995. During his five-year tenure, the Tigers had two really good seasons in 1996 and 1997.

They also won both games in both seasons. Tigers’ all-time leading rusher Kevin Faulk attended LSU from 1995-1998. Faulk had  4,557 career rushing yards as a Tiger. 

Coached Under Saban, Miles, and Orgeron

Nick Saban coached the Tigers from 2000-2004. In his second season, the Tigers went 10-3 and won the SEC.

In 2003, Saban and the Tigers took it a step further by winning the National Championship after defeating the Oklahoma Sooners. Saban left the Tigers in 2008 with a 48–16 overall record and a 3-2 bowl record. 

Les Miles was hired in 2005. Miles’ first three years were superb. They won at least 11 games in each season and went 3-0 in bowl games. In 2007, the Tigers finished 12-2 and beat Florida in the SEC Championship.

They went on to face Ohio State in the National Championship and beat them 38-24. 2011 was another bright spot for the Tigers as they finished with a 13-1 record and an SEC Championship.

Unfortunately, the Tigers lost to rival Alabama in the National Championship. Miles was relieved of his duties in 2016. He finished with a 114–34 overall record. 

Ed Orgeron coached the Tigers from 2016-2021. The Tigers never had a losing season under Orgeron. In 2019, the Tigers potentially had one of the best seasons in college football history.

Their offense, led by Heisman trophy winner Joe Burrow, averaged over 40 points per game. The Tigers ran over Georgia in the SEC Championship and Clemson Tigers in the National Championship.

They finished with a perfect 15-0 record. Orgeron and the Tigers parted ways at the end of the 2021 season, and former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly was named head coach.