Link Gumbo - 12\16\16: A Surprise Return At LSU’s First Bowl Practice

It’s been quite the week for LSU, and while the Matt Canada hire is certainly the headline, there is so much more to discuss.

In coaching news, LSU has hired longtime NFL Special Teams assistant and noted Chalmation Bobby April as a “special teams analyst”, marking LSU’s first really foray into assembling something that looks like Saban’s infamous “shadow staff” of non-recruiting, non-gameday coaches who by NCAA rules don’t do much more than study film. The former Nicholls LB has 25 years of NFL coaching experience and will apparently be joining the staff immediately and contributing to LSU’s bowl prep.

Speaking of, LSU had it’s first bowl practice and with it came a few surprising roster notes. Fournette was M.I.A., presumably still rehabbing that ankle, and we got the surprise return of DL Christian LaCouture. LaCouture’s playing career at LSU had presumably ended after and ACL tear in a practice last summer (he even walked at Senior Day) but the hiring of DACOACHO and some re-recruting by Pete Jenkins was enough to get him to come back for another year. He says he’s fully healed, though as he will be claiming 2016 as his redshirt year, I dont believe he will play in the bowl game. Another roster move was the announcement by WR Jazz Ferguson that he is transferring. By his own words, the split seems to be amicable.

As all of the availible D1 head coaching jobs have been filled, we come to the realization that for the first season since 2000, Les Miles will not be a D1 football coach. I’m still holding out hope he gets a nice ESPN gig.

Baseball has released their TV schedule for the 2017 season where, for the 3rd year in a row, all 56 games will be broadcast on some internet or TV service, including all three games of the mini-tournament at Minute Maid park in Houston, and the various in-state road games away from Alex Box Stadium. Overall, more than 100 SEC games will make actual television this season, though the sport still cannot find any airtime until after the first month of games has been played.

Dale Brown made an unexpected appearance yesterday as many people paid homage to the passing of the great Craig Sager yesterday...

(That’s NWA Championship Wrestling for 03-22-86 for those of you with The Network)