Huey Long became Louisiana’s governor in 1928 and one of his first orders of business was improving everything about LSU. He viewed the university as a reflection of himself, and by God, the football team would demonstrate the glories of the Kingfish.
We have already covered one of his first acts, wiggling out of a contract extension with Mike Donahue and then stealing Will Wade’s chief scout from Alabama, Russ Cohen. Cohen was also formerly a captain of the famed 1915 Vanderbilt “point-a-minute” team. He came in to Baton Rouge with bona fides.
This didn’t stop Huey Long from forcing Cohen to sign his letter of resignation in advance, a practice Long used with all of his subordinates and now football coaches.