BATON ROUGE — LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri joined New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton Monday night as Celebrity Monarchs in the Krewe of Orpheus parade in New Orleans.
For 17 years, the Krewe of Orpheus has mesmerized the crowds who jam the streets of New Orleans awaiting its arrival. From its founding in 1993, Orpheus has consistently stunned the revelers on Lundi Gras, the night before Mardi Gras, and has exploded as the largest new Krewe in the past 30 years.
Mainieri, who directed LSU to the 2009 NCAA national championship, said he enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate with Payton, who guided the Saints to victory in Super Bowl XLIV just nine days ago.
“It was an unbelievable experience and a celebration of everything that is special about Louisiana,” Mainieri said. “It was great to spend time with Sean and share thoughts about our teams and coaching philosophies. Certainly, we are very proud of Sean and the entire Saints organization.
“Now it’s time to get back to work and focus completely on the 2010 season. We’ve got many challenges ahead and I can’t wait to get started. “
LSU, ranked No. 2 in the preseason polls, opens its season at 7 p.m. Friday versus Centenary in Alex Box Stadium.