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Xciting move for DiNardo Former LSU coach to be announced on Tuesday
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Former LSU and Vanderbilt football coach Gerry DiNardo has been chosen as the first coach of the Birmingham franchise of the new XFL professional football league, officials said. DiNardo, a New York native, was one of the first coaches sought by the new league, and was given the choice of coaching a franchise in New York, Memphis or Birmingham. He chose Alabama's largest city because he was impressed with it during his time as a college coach. "He likes the South, he loved being in Baton Rouge, and he really thought a lot of Birmingham," said Joe Dean Sr., LSU athletics director. Reached at his Baton Rouge restaurant, DiNardo refused comment on the move, but friends and associates told The Birmingham News in a story Sunday that DiNardo has a contract from the XFL with a base salary of between $150,000 and $200,000 a season. DiNardo resigned from LSU after 10 games last season. The Tigers had consecutive wins at the beginning of the season, but by the time DiNardo left they were reeling from eight straight losses. "He had three great years, then the bottom fell out," Dean said. "A lot of coaching is about luck, and he didn't have any the last two years. I regret that. We had a good relationship. I really wanted to stay with him another year, but couldn't." LSU basketball coach John Brady said the job is "a good fit for Gerry, and it'll be a good fit for Birmingham." Brady, an export from Birmingham's Samford, said DiNardo was "the most popular guy in Louisiana" when the two met upon Brady's arrival at LSU. "He could've been elected governor," Brady said. But the tide turned for DiNardo as the Tigers were plagued with back-to-back losing seasons and two former stars -- running back Cecil Collins and wide receiver Larry Foster -- had run-ins with the law. "That hurt me when he didn't make it here, because I'd seen him so wildly liked and I saw it all crumble," Brady said. "But he stayed the same throughout. He was never vindictive, never blamed anyone." After leaving LSU, DiNardo began managing his restaurant, DiNardo's, on a full-time basis. He turned down the offer of a coaching job at Division I-AA McNeese State. "We've talked about Birmingham," Brady said. "He's already got friends there, like [Birmingham-Southern athletic director] Joe Dean Jr." DiNardo grew up in Brooklyn and signed with Notre Dame out of high school. During his collegiate career, the Fighting Irish compiled a three-year record of 29-5 and a national title. DiNardo was named a first-team All-American as an offensive lineman. After college, DiNardo was a defensive assistant at Maine and Eastern Michigan before accepting the offensive coordinator post at Colorado under Bill McCartney. After the Buffaloes won a national title in 1990, DiNardo went to Vanderbilt to replace Watson Brown. At Vanderbilt, DiNardo's four-year record of 19-25 remains the best four-year run posted by the Commodores in 25 years. DiNardo moved to LSU before the 1995 season and promptly ended a six-year losing streak. In three years, the Tigers went 26-9-1 and won consecutive bowl games. At Tuesday's news conference, which reportedly will feature XFL founder Vince McMahon, former Canadian Football League player Tim Berryman will be introduced as general manager. Berryman had been vice president and chief operating officer of the Little Rock-based Arkansas Twisters arenafootball2 team, as well as the East Coast Hockey League's Arkansas RiverBlades. Gene Hallman, CEO of the Alabama Sports Foundation, was the XFL's top choice for the general manager job, the newspaper reported. But Hallman elected to remain in his current job, and the Birmingham franchise is expected to hire him and his Bruno's Event Team for marketing and promotions.
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