SPORTS

LSU hires former Saints special teams coordinator

Glenn Guilbeau
USA TODAY Network
The departure of longtime special teams coach Greg McMahon gives New Orleans Saints fans big reason to believe the kicking game can improve in 2017.

BATON ROUGE — The co-author of two of the greatest plays in New Orleans Saints history will be joining LSU coach Ed Orgeron's staff.

Greg McMahon, the Saints' special teams coordinator since 2008, has been hired as a special teams consultant with the Tigers and may be named the Tigers' special teams coordinator should the NCAA add a 10th full-time assistant this summer in time for the 2017 season. He replaces former Saints special teams coach Bobby April, who served in a consultant role between the end of the 2016 regular season and LSU's victory over Louisville in the Citrus Bowl.

Orgeron has nine full-time assistant coaches at the moment. He fired LSU special teams coach Bradley Dale Peveto shortly after getting the permanent job after the regular season. Peveto has since taken over as special teams coach at Ole Miss.

McMahon, 57, worked with Orgeron in the 2008 season when Orgeron coached the Saints defensive line for that one season. He came to the Saints in 2006 under new coach Sean Payton and was a special teams assistant for two seasons before becoming coordinator.

Going into Super Bowl XLIV, McMahon convinced Payton to try an onside kick instead of a fake punt, which was Payton's original plan to steal a possession. With the Saints trailing Indianapolis 10-6 at halftime of that Super Bowl on Feb. 7, 2010, Payton pulled the trigger and called the onside kick. The Saints recovered at their 42-yard line and drove 58 yards for a touchdown and 13-10 lead before going on to win, 31-17. It was the first onside kick not tried in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl history.

McMahon, whose special teams at Illinois from 1992-2004 were known for blocking punts, also saw his Saints' unit block a punt against Atlanta on Sept. 25, 2006, in the Saints' first game back in the Louisiana Superdome since 2004 because Hurricane Katrina shredded its roof on Aug. 29, 2005. The Saints were then forced to play their games that season in Tiger Stadium and at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. After a forcing a punt on the Falcons' first possession of the game, Steve Gleason blocked the punt deep in Saints territory, and Curtis DeLoach recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown and 7-0 lead. And the dome roof almost came off again. The Saints went on to win 23-3, then won the NFC South and reached the NFC Championship Game before finishing 11-7 for their first double-digit winning season since 2000. A statue of Gleason's block was soon erected outside the Superdome.

McMahon played at Eastern Illinois before coaching at Eastern Illinois in 1982, Minnesota from 1983-84, North Alabama from 1985-87, Southern Illinois in 1988, Valdosta State in 1989, UNLV from 1990-91, Illinois from 1992-2004, East Carolina in 2005 and the Saints from 2006-16.

McMahon's special teams struggled in recent years in New Orleans, and he was one of five full time assistant coaches to be fired by Payton after the Saints' third straight losing season in 2016.

NIGHT SPRING GAME: For the first time since 1995, the Tigers will stage a night-time spring game in Tiger Stadium on Saturday, April 22. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. and be televised live by the SEC Network. LSU starts spring practice on March 11 and will work out 14 times before the spring game.

Glenn Guilbeau covers LSU sports for the USA Today Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter at @LSUBeatTweet. Coverage of LSU and commentary by Guilbeau supported by Hebert’s Town & Country Automobile Dealer in Shreveport located at 1155 East Bert Kouns Loop. Research your next Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or Ram at http://hebertstandc.com/.)

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