Baton Rouge has intense relationships with LSU football coaches.

They are loved or hated, depending on the season, and sometimes emotions shift from game to game. They live in the city, but residents don’t see them often. Whether they stay here for one year or 10 years, LSU football coaches leave indelible marks on the city long after they’re gone.

While dining at local restaurants or looking at expensive real estate, Baton Rougeans can find semblances of past coaches around the city. With colorful characters such as Gerry DiNardo, Nick Saban and Les Miles, LSU football coaches’ vestiges remain.

On campus, three buildings are named after LSU football coaches:

Charles E. Coates Hall

Charles E. Coates volunteered to organize and coach the first LSU football team in 1893. The record was 0-1, a lopsided loss to Tulane. Coates, the third LSU faculty member with a doctorate, became known for his work in sugar chemistry. Coates Hall, located in the Quad, was built in 1926.

Bernie Moore Track and Field Stadium

Bernie Moore took over the LSU football head coaching job in 1935 after the resignation of Biff Jones. He was both the head football coach and the track and field coach from 1935-47.

The 1935 Tigers posted a 9–2 record and won the school's first Southeastern Conference championship. Moore was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1952. The stadium was named after Moore in 1971 and has been home to 19 outdoor championship teams.

Charles McClendon Practice Facility

Charles McClendon, the winningest football coach in school history, led the team from 1962-79. During his tenure, McClendon coached the Tigers in 13 bowl games and a 137-59-7 record. In 2002, the LSU football facility was named after and dedicated to McClendon. The current LSU Tigers practice at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility.

Other coaches may not have their names on buildings, but buildings still carry their memory. These Baton Rouge landmarks have marks of former coaches.

DiNardo’s to Ruffino’s

Gerry DiNardo promised to “bring back the magic” when he was hired as head coach in 1995. He led the team to a 26-9-1 record over his first three seasons. Former LSU football player turned restaurateur Ruffin Rodrigue opened DiNardo’s restaurant on Highland Road in 1998, a shoutout to the coach’s Italian heritage that fit the menu.

After two losing seasons, DiNardo was fired in 1999. Rodrigue changed the name of the restaurant to Ruffino’s in 2000. Although Rodrigue died in 2020, Ruffino’s is still going strong.

Nick Saban’s former house and hat

Nick Saban coached the Tigers for a memorable five seasons from 2000-04, and brought the state a national championship in 2003. His record was 48-16.

His former house at 6326 Highland Road, referred to as the “Saban Estate,” is on the market again with a listing price of $3,995,000. Saban bought the home for $1.7 million in 2001, then sold it in 2005 for $2.7 million. The house has six bedrooms and is 6,494 square feet.

Saban’s straw hat, with a faded purple LSU band, that he wore during his tenure is still in Baton Rouge, in LSU Athletics' communications director Michael Bonnette’s home. Saban famously coached practices and camps in straw fedoras at LSU, in Miami with the Dolphins and at Alabama.

Les Miles doesn’t have a name on a building or a well-known house, but his son Ben Miles is still in Baton Rouge, coaching football at Southern University.

Les Miles’ son

Les Miles coached LSU from 2005-16 and led the Tigers to a 114-34 record, but 37 wins were vacated by the NCAA. Miles brought LSU another national championship in 2007. His son, Ben Miles, is still in Baton Rouge, coaching tight ends for the Southern University football team.