By TODD HORNE, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
LSU Basketball Hired Matt McMahon for a Rebuild — Not a Quick Fix
By the time a coach reaches Year Five, the conversation usually becomes simple: results. That reality will follow LSU basketball coach Matt McMahon into next season. Fair or not, Year Five is when rebuilds are expected to produce visible progress.
But before anyone rushes to demand a coaching change, LSU fans should ask a more important question:
What exactly did LSU hire Matt McMahon to do in the first place?
Rebuilding a program that has been structurally damaged rarely follows a straight timeline. The more relevant question isn’t simply what LSU’s record was this year — it’s where the program sits in the rebuilding arc that began when McMahon arrived in 2022.
Because if LSU returns its key pieces and supplements them intelligently through the transfer portal, McMahon may finally have something he has rarely had in Baton Rouge:
continuity.
And that’s precisely why the smartest move — competitively, structurally, and financially — may be to let him finish the job LSU hired him to do.
LSU Didn’t Just Lose a Coach in 2022 — It Lost Credibility
When LSU moved on from Will Wade, the consequences were immediate and severe. The FBI investigation, wiretaps, and NCAA scrutiny didn’t just end a coaching tenure — they triggered a mass roster exodus and left LSU starting over in the most competitive basketball league in America.
- Recruiting pipelines collapsed
- The roster was wiped out
- NIL infrastructure lagged behind SEC peers
- LSU entered the SEC with no stability
In practical terms, LSU basketball had been structurally damaged.
LSU didn’t hire the flashiest name available. The university deliberately chose a coach known for discipline, structure, and program integrity.
That coach was Matt McMahon.
At Murray State, McMahon built one of the most consistent mid‑major programs in the country:
- 154–67 record
- Multiple conference titles
- Three NCAA Tournament appearances
- A system built on spacing, decision‑making, and defense
- Development of players like Ja Morant
LSU hired McMahon not for instant gratification, but to rebuild something sustainable.
Why LSU’s Roster May Finally Be Taking Shape
If LSU returns its core players, the foundation for next season may already be in place.
A True Point Guard to Run the System
Dedan Thomas Jr. gives LSU the high‑IQ lead guard McMahon’s offense is designed around.
A Young Backcourt With Upside
- Jalen Reece: secondary playmaking, defensive energy
- Mazi Mosley: perimeter shooting LSU desperately needs
A Frontcourt With SEC Size and Skill
- Jalen Reed: LSU’s most physical interior presence when healthy
- Robert Miller III: length, athleticism, and Year Three experience
That core alone gives McMahon something he has rarely had at LSU:
players who understand the system.
Analytics Show LSU’s Offense Is Better Than Fans Think
Even during rebuilding seasons, LSU’s underlying offensive profile has shown encouraging trends.
McMahon’s teams consistently generate high‑quality shots.
Analytics evaluating shot quality — which estimate scoring efficiency based on location and shot type — often show LSU producing opportunities that should score more efficiently than the final percentages indicate.
In simple terms:
LSU is often taking the right shots.
Across recent seasons, LSU has graded well in several indicators associated with strong coaching structure:
- Low turnover rate
- High assist rate
- Efficient shot profiles
These are not the metrics of a poorly coached team.
Why Comparing McMahon to Todd Golden Is Misleading
Many LSU fans compare McMahon’s timeline to Todd Golden at Florida.
But the situations were fundamentally different:
- Florida did not inherit a gutted roster
- Florida already had SEC‑level recruiting infrastructure
- Florida’s basketball NIL ecosystem was functional
- LSU’s NIL focus has historically centered on football
The transfer portal accelerates rebuilds — but only when the infrastructure supporting it already exists.
McMahon inherited none of that.
LSU Basketball History Warns Against Impatience
Programs rarely collapse overnight. And they rarely recover overnight either.
LSU’s most successful eras — from Dale Brown’s Final Four teams to John Brady’s 2006 run — emerged only after years of continuity finally took hold.
LSU has often struggled not because it lacked potential, but because it repeatedly reset the program just as stability began to form.
McMahon was hired to build something sustainable. Walking away now would risk repeating the same cycle LSU has spent decades trying to escape.
Firing Matt McMahon Now Would Be Program Suicide
Strip away the emotion and examine the facts.
LSU hired Matt McMahon to stabilize a program damaged by years of reckless leadership. He has done exactly what he was brought here to do:
- rebuild the structure
- restore credibility
- assemble a roster that finally resembles a functioning SEC program
Now, as continuity is beginning to emerge, some want LSU to start over.
That would not simply be impatient. It would be irresponsible.
Financially, firing McMahon would require LSU to:
- pay a significant buyout
- fund a new coaching staff
- rebuild the roster again in the NIL era
Structurally, it would reset a program that is only now stabilizing.
Institutionally, it would send a troubling message across the coaching profession:
LSU hires program builders but doesn’t allow them to finish the job.
In other words:
It would be the definition of program suicide.
FAQ
Why shouldn’t LSU fire Matt McMahon?
Because LSU hired him to rebuild a program gutted by NCAA fallout, and continuity is finally emerging.
What would McMahon’s buyout cost LSU?
A significant financial hit — plus the cost of hiring a new staff and rebuilding the roster again.
Is LSU’s roster improving?
Yes. With Thomas, Reece, Mosley, Reed, and Miller III, LSU finally has a core that fits McMahon’s system.
Did Will Wade’s exit damage LSU basketball?
Yes. The roster evaporated, recruiting pipelines collapsed, and LSU entered the SEC with no stability.
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