Curley Hallman got the LSU job for three reasons: 1) he had a record as a disciplinarian and LSU was in the market for one after Mike Archer; 2) connections to the Bear, however tenuous, were a big deal still in 1990; and 3) Southern Miss pulled off some huge upsets.

Source: What If LSU Never Hired Curley Hallman? – And The Valley Shook