BATON ROUGE - Longtime LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux will be featured in an upcoming ESPN/SEC Network spotlight show that chronicles her early career battles for equality and late career success.

Wednesday night at the Maravich Center there will be a special premiere of the broadcast at the public is invited to attend.

Sports2's Michael Cauble caught up with Breaux to hear about the history and future events surrounding this special report titled "The Fighting Tiger."

"We had nothing, and they wanted me to go back over to that old women's gym, which was condemned, you know," Breaux recalls of her early start in college coaching and the challenges it presented as she was trying to make a foothold for her sport.

"I'm like, I think we're kind of confused, because I'm not going over there. That's really nasty. And Ernie Hill said, Well, you know what? Let's figure out something. We'll get you a spot in the field house. So I had, I had pretty good support from, you know, a small circle of people around me. But when you got outside of that small circle, it was, it was a real struggle."

Breaux noted some early roadblocks that hindered not only the growth of gymnastics in Baton Rouge, but many women's sports at that time in the late '70's.

"I had some people that that really, you know, work, but not just worked against me, but had no vision. They had absolutely no vision for what our women's programs could do here at LSU," Breaux said.

"It was not, D-D we don't treat you bad, we treat everybody bad. You know, it's like, I'd go in and ask for something, and they would say, 'Well, if we gave that to you, we'd have to give it to everybody.' I said, Well, maybe everybody needs it."

"I made waves, you know, and I, you know, some people tell me all the time, I don't know how you were able to stay because you spoke up, you fought for everything that was right for everybody."

Breaux credits allies along the way that helped push her vision forward, people like donors who helped fund the programs expansion or former LSU athletic director Skip Bertman who shared her passion for excellence.

"My vision from the very beginning was I wanted to create opportunities for women. I wanted equality in every aspect but fighting for Title Nine every single day. I wanted academic and athletic excellence, and I wanted relevance. I wanted the program to matter, to be relevant." 

Fans wanting to attend the premiere event of "The Fighting Tiger," a SEC Storied film chronicling the life, impact, and legacy of former LSU Gymnastics head coach D-D Breaux are invited to the Maravich Center on Wednesday night.

The screening is free and open to the public, giving fans a first look at the inspiring documentary ahead of its official airing.

The south end of the PMAC will have open seats and doors open at 5:45 p.m., they are asking that you bring a canned good to donate to the Baton Rouge Food Bank. 

Event Details – Public Premiere of “The Fighting Tiger”

Date: Wednesday, February 4

Time: 6:30 p.m. CT, doors open at 5:15

Location: Pete Maravich Assembly Center

Admission: FREE and open to the public

SEC Network Television Debut

Date: Friday, February 13

Time: 9:30 p.m. CT