Tigers Win

Russell Brock has spent the last several years building a program from the ground up.  

There's only one thing left to do. 

On today's installment of Tigers Win, we talk with LSU's Beach Volleyball head coach about building a championship contender and taking the last step from contender to champion.   

We also discuss the mental game as championship season approaches, controlling chaos, prioritizing in crunch time, and the greatness of Kristen Nuss.

A special bonus episode of Tigers Win today, as Chris Blair sits down with Director of Athletics Scott Woodward after a big week in LSU Athletics.

Up for discussion is the hiring of Kim Mulkey, the expansion of outdoor sports to 100% capacity, and more.

Enjoy, and please don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

More episodes of Tigers Win coming very soon! 

Who knows perfection better than Ashleigh Gnat? 

Nine times in her decorated career as an LSU gymnast, Gnat scored a perfect 10, tied for the most in school history. That's not to mention her 17 All-American honors, her 2017 national championship in the floor exercise, and the multitude of honors, awards, and trophies to her name. 

But Gnat's perspective on perfection is unexpectedly refreshing: "Perfect isn't even perfect." As in, perfection is subjective, a moving target, a line in the sand that keeps getting washed over by the waves. 

I wanted to talk to Gnat about perfection, but the conversation ended up in a bigger and better place. We discussed transitions, the intersection of journeys, learning from the people around you, perception vs. reality, how gymnastics is as much art as it is sport, the 2021 LSU Gymnastics squad's postseason hopes, and so much more.

Beth Torina is a coach's coach.  

I grew up around coaches and work around them daily. I would put Coach Torina at the top of the list, when it comes to building team culture and generating buy in among her LSU Softball players. 

This conversation is exactly what I envisioned when I started this podcast: learning expertise -- in this case, team building and tone setting -- from an absolute expert. 

If you're a coach, or an athlete, or simply a leader looking to generate more engagement from those you lead, this is the conversation for you.  

Show outline

6:29 - Leaning into Louisiana culture  

9:50 - Balancing work and play 

11:25 - Mentality as a player vs. as a coach 

16:08 - The importance of shared language in a team 

18:51 - Favorite team themes over the years 

21:03 - #MakeItCount 

22:57 - Team buy-in 

25:39 - T.I.G.E.R.S. Traits  

28:08 - Very Superstitious  

32:07 - Coping with COVID 

35:01 - Routines

Ryan Clark just signed a new contract with ESPN, reaffirming his status as one of sports television's premier figures.

The same things that make Ryan a compelling and insightful analyst are the same things that make him an excellent guest on today's show. He's honest. He's blunt. He's strong in his opinions.

These are also qualities that rub some people the wrong way. I know -- I was one of them, at first.

But what I've learned from working with Ryan and developing a relationship with him is this: you'll never meet someone so transparent. What he feels, he reveals. He will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

If you don't have a friend like that, find one.

Until then, enjoy this episode, and see what you can learn from Ryan. He talks about the power of being honest, with yourselves and with others, and how important it is to be open to new ideas, even when they contradict your opinions.

He also discusses how he thought his career was done after his senior season, leveraging his platform for positive growth, and how LSU has taken over sports television.

You may not agree with everything Ryan says. That's okay. If I've learned anything from Ryan, it's that agreement isn't necessary. Listening -- with empathy, with respect, and with an open mind -- is the only requirement if you want to improve yourself and the people around you.

No one in the game has more wins than Paul Mainieri. LSU's head baseball coach is nearing 1,600 for his career, so I couldn't think of a better first guest for a podcast about winning than Coach Mainieri. Even better is that he has as many stories as he does victories. On today's show, we talk about milestones, mentors, leaving LSU to find out how good he was as a player, and coming back to find out how good he was as a coach.  

For a full transcript of the episode, click here.  

Show outline: 

Paul Mainieri Bio 

Mainieri has guided the Tigers to the 2009 College World Series national championship and five CWS appearances. During Mainieri’s tenure, LSU has captured a remarkable 30 team championships, including the 2009 NCAA title, eight NCAA Regional championships, five NCAA Super Regional championships, four Southeastern Conference championships, six SEC Tournament titles and six SEC Western Division crowns. Mainieri has a 1,467-752-8 (.661) record in 38 seasons of collegiate coaching at St. Thomas University (1984-88), Air Force (1989-94), Notre Dame (1995-2006) and LSU (2007-present). 

He is No. 1 on the career wins list for active NCAA coaches and No. 9 in all-time NCAA wins, and he is one of only six coaches in NCAA history to have won over 1,400 games and a national championship. Mainieri is 603-260-3 (.698) at LSU, and he has the third-highest winning percentage in SEC history, trailing only former LSU coach Skip Bertman, who was 870-330-3 (.724) from 1984-2001, and former South Carolina coach Ray Tanner, who posted a 738-316 (.700) mark from 1997-2012. 

Mainieri earned his 600th LSU win on March 6, 2020, when the Tigers defeated UMass Lowell in Alex Box Stadium. Mainieri became just the 12th coach in SEC history – and the second at LSU – to compile 600 wins at a league school. Under Mainieri, the Tigers earned an NCAA Tournament National Seed in six consecutive seasons from 2012-17, making LSU and Stanford (1999-2004) the only schools in NCAA history to capture six straight National Seeds. Since 2008, LSU has earned nine NCAA Tournament National Seeds, the second-best mark in the country over the past 13 seasons.

Tigers Win: The latest podcast from LSU Athletics