LSU board OKs Bertman statue in outside Alex Box Stadium; Fargas' contract decision tabled
- BY BROOKS KUBENA | BKUBENA@THEADVOCATE.COM
- SEP 7, 2018 - 6:53 PM
A committee within the LSU Board of Supervisors authorized Friday morning the construction of a plaza outside Alex Box Stadium that will include a statue of Hall of Fame Tigers baseball coach Skip Bertman.
No cost was listed for the plaza project, which the Property and Facilities Committee detailed would cover just more than 3,000 square feet, and it will be paid in full by the Tiger Athletic Foundation.
LSU won five of its 11 College World Series appearances during Bertman's 18-year coaching career from 1984-2001, and he totaled an NCAA tournament record of 89-29 the highest winning percentage in NCAA history.
A decision on LSU women's basketball coach Nikki Fargas' contract was tabled for the second time in three months when the board ran out of time to bring up anything athletically related.
A new contract was on the agenda during the last board meeting on June 29, which included a proposal that included a three-year contract extension through 2021-22 with no increase in her $700,000 annual pay with a $200,000 buyout.
In 2014, Fargas received a five-year extension on her $350,000-per year contract, and the contract is scheduled to end on June 30, 2019.
With a full year left on the contract, LSU would be required to pay Fargas $300,000 if it were to fire her without cause before the season. A partial year would be prorated.
Fargas is 132-93 in seven seasons at LSU, and the Tigers have been eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament in their three appearances in the past four seasons.
LSU went 19-10 (11-5 SEC) in the 2017-2018 season, and the No. 6-seeded Tigers lost 78-69 in the first round of the NCAA tournament to No. 11 Central Michigan, which eventually reached the Sweet 16.
Leading scorers Chloe Jackson (18.1 points per game) and Raigyne Louis (16.1) have expired eligibility, and LSU will return its other three major starters: sophomore center Faustine Aifuwa (5.1 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game), junior forward Ayana Mitchell (11 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game) and junior guard Jaelyn Richard-Harris (4.6 points per game, 1.8 rebounds per game).
Three public speakers, which included season ticket holders and a former LSU player, spoke before the board in support of extending Fargas' contract at the beginning of the meeting.
LSU opens the season against Loyola at home on Nov. 2.