This month’s 225 goes behind the scenes with LSU Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette, who has helped coordinate just about every story you’ve ever read about LSU football.
He’s literally the man who keeps Tigers Coach Les Miles in line with the media. That responsibility comes with its own set of challenges, and it’s not a job that everyone appreciates. There are the obvious tugs of war with the media, and the business has changed considerably with the advent of social media and LSU sports having a website to put out its own stories, 225 reports.
“For the most part, Bonnette walks this tightrope extremely well,” says Glenn Guilbeau, who covers LSU for the Gannett News Service. “The best thing about him is he has kept his sense of humor, and he returns calls or texts—most of the time.”
Bonnette comes from what’s considered the “First Family of Sports Information” in Louisiana. His father, Louis Bonnette, was sports information director at McNeese State for 46 years. His brother, Matthew, replaced his father, and his sister even worked for their father while she was in college.
As for Michael Bonnette, he worked his way up through the ranks, starting first as a student worker in LSU’s Sports Information Department. His career has taken him everywhere, put him front and center on national television, and opened up many doors.
“The things that I’ve been able to do because of LSU football,” he tells 225 with a smile and a shake of his head. “I count my blessings every day. The cool places I’ve been and the people I’ve met—it’s all because of LSU people … the doors that have opened.”
