LSU fires basketball Coach John Brady

BATON ROUGE, La., Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Louisiana State University Friday fired men's basketball Coach John Brady, who guided the Tigers to the Final Four two seasons ago.

LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman said he told Brady of the change Thursday night. Assistant Coach Butch Pierre was installed as interim head coach.

Bertman thanked Brady for his "service to LSU."

"He's a gamer, not a quitter and he so badly wanted to right the ship that has fallen on some difficult times, particularly this year," Bertman said at a news conference Friday. "He's done some things that will be forever written down in the history books of LSU basketball."

That includes a trip to the 2006 Final Four during a tenure that covered 11 seasons. But the Tigers slipped to 17-15 last year and were 8-13 this season -- and 1-6 in Southeastern Conference play.

"The basketball program, where it is today, is certainly not where I'd like it," Brady said. "It is poised to be better next year. The program is better off now than it was when I came."

LSU was 192-139 overall (69-93 in the SEC) under Brady. The Tigers were invited to the NCAA tournament six times and the NIT twice while he was coach.