Four days before his first win as LSU’s interim coach, Frank Wilson spoke at a funeral.

He had never done that before, but this was for Shan P. Williams , a longtime administrator in the New Orleans public school system.

Wilson dabbed his eyes. His voice cracked as he talked about the role Williams played in his life. Williams gave him a chance to be a high school head coach when he was 26 years old. Wilson called him his mentor. He never made a professional decision without talking to him.

“I wanted him to go into that stadium with me,” Wilson said. “He will. He’ll look down. He’ll smile. Smile big.”

When LSU beat Arkansas 23-22 on Saturday afternoon, the first thing Wilson did was point to the sky above Tiger Stadium. Players doused him in Powerade, and staff members hugged him

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