The Jay Johnson era has begun at LSU, but not before thanking the legendary coaches that came before him.
The former Arizona Wildcats head coach was officially introduced at Alex Box Stadium on Monday, with his predecessor Paul Mainieri and the legendary Skip Bertman looking on from the front row.
"More than anybody else, these two men right here, that's why I call this the honor of my lifetime," Johnson said.
But the man set to lead LSU into its next era of coaching also hit on expectations for himself, players and the Tigers program as he steps into the Southeastern Conference and Alex Box Stadium.
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Scroll below for the top five quotes from Johnson in his press conference and on-field Q&A with fans.
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'RECRUIT, DEVELOP, WIN.'
"Here's how we're going to do it. We're going to recruit. What does that mean? We're going to sell a vision of the elite college baseball program in the country where anything is possible. You get a chance to be the next Warren Morris at the plate in the ninth inning of the College World Series and come through. You get a chance to be the next Alex Bregman. Everything is possible here. Not easy; every day will matter in terms of building you to that point in time. And at that point in time, you'll be ready when that is what's called for.
"What does that look like? That looks like a player of elite talent, elite character with a work ethic known to mankind because that is what's going to be required to be successful in our program."
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"Recruit, develop, win. And I know what that means to you. It means the same thing to me. But it means something else. What is important now? We can't go to Omaha today. But our players out in summer baseball can be doing something that can move us in that direction. Our players that are in the weight room or summer school can be doing something today that is moving us in that direction."
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'TIGERS ACROSS OUR CHEST'
"Coach Mainieri said he wanted to make Skip proud. I want to carry that on. And when I feel any great responsibility in this, not to myself. I’m going to work harder than any baseball coach in the country, any coach in the country.
"Our players, there’s going to be a lot demanded of them. They’re going to work harder than any other college baseball team in the country. We’re not going to win because it says Tigers across our chest, we’re going to win because of the heartbeat inside of the player with Tigers on his chest. The head, the decision-making of the player that has Tigers written across his chest, and doing things on a daily basis that’s going to lead to the improvements that’s necessary to be an elite, Division-1 baseball team that’s playing their best at the end of the season.”
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WHAT WILL THE TIGERS LOOK LIKE?
“It’s all phases of the game. First, and I said this in the press conference, I want teams to hate to play us. I want them to feel what it’s like playing the Tigers where we’re constantly pressing on them and creating pressure on them. I want it to be a team that you’re extremely proud of when you fill this stadium. Like, you’re eager to come to the ballpark on a Friday night after a long day of work because you know the effort and the execution that our team is going to play with.”
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DO YOU BELIEVE IN INFIELD SHIFTS?
“Yes. I want to collect outs. We want to be hard to get out when we’re on offense and we want to get outs quickly while we’re on defense. It is a very good thing if the player hits the ball exactly where we’re standing. What I will promise you guys is we will spend hours upon hours upon hours scouting our opponent so we know how to pitch them. We know how to play them and they hit it where we’re standing a lot."
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HOW HAVE YOU HANDLED THE LOUISIANA HUMIDITY?
“Wouldn’t have it any other way. Honestly, coming out here at least once or twice a summer to Atlanta to recruit, I was one of the guys that actually welcomed that. It’s something different. You embrace it and it gives us a little bit of an advantage, so I’m all about the humidity as crazy as that might sound.”