The Book CC Track & Field 2006-07

[spearchucker]

There are three names in contention for the head job now: former UL All American vaulter and current interim head coach of Ark State, Lon Badeaux; former UL distance coach Carl Lawson; and former Blinn coach Steve Silve. UL can't offer Silve enough money in my opinion, Lawson knows what it will take to regain the program of old, but Badeaux has strong ties to Acadiana, good connections to resources in today's track and field, and may be capable of putting together the type of staff that is needed to win conference.

The question is...who will raise the money to get it done and when will the UL Track and Soccer compost become Charles Lancon Stadium???

[VObserver]

_ There are three names in contention for the head job now: former UL All American vaulter and current interim head coach of Ark State, Lon Badeaux; former UL distance coach Carl Lawson; and former Blinn coach Steve Silve. UL can't offer Silve enough money in my opinion, Lawson knows what it will take to regain the program of old, but Badeaux has strong ties to Acadiana, good connections to resources in today's track and field, and may be capable of putting together the type of staff that is needed to win conference.

The question is...who will raise the money to get it done and when will the UL Track and Soccer compost become Charles Lancon Stadium??? _

I would like to see all three of those in the Cajun fold. I know it won't happen, but I would like to see it. Silve is one of the best track coaches ever at any level, and the other two guys are also proven, successful coaches.

I will say it again. We could have hired the best jumps coach in the country when Charles died, but the U refused to pay him his very modest salary request, and refused to give him enough money to hire good assistants. This time around, if indeed there is going to be a coaching change, we MUST be willing to put as much University money into coaching salaries for track as we currently spend on the entire track budget. That would let us about double the head coach pay, and give us enough to pay maybe $30K each for three assistants [you need four coaches: sprints/hurdles, distance, jumps, throws]. Maybe, just maybe, the recent actions by the UL system and the State to allow schools to spend about double what was previously allowed of State money on athletics, will allow us to do this.

As for re-naming the facility; don't hold your breath. I understand there are political considerations at work that are holding that up.

[DaddyCajun]

I do not know a whole bunch about the current track and field but I can say that a few years back I initiated pressure washing the stadium! I went to the head coach after we finished the baseball pressure washing and painting. Gerald then got involved and painting of the restrooms, concessions, floors painted and tiled, offices refurbished, UL logos placed on concrete and stadium walls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I certainly enjoyed getting involved and I feel more of us need to do the same. I am sure we could do some sort of cook off/boiled crawfish/crabs and a bike-a-thon that could raise some monies this SUMMER!!

Hey if we raise $5,000 this Summer for whatever the coaches need that would be a great place to start.

Emails to send invitations
Early morning news, news paper, and radio shows to advertise more....
Sponsors at $250 a piece with each person getting involved raising $1000.....how much could be raised....????
T-Shirts could be made up ......... Cajun Summer Trek '07!!!

DaddyCajun

[spearchucker]

_ This time around, if indeed there is going to be a coaching change, we MUST be willing to put as much University money into coaching salaries for track as we currently spend on the entire track budget. That would let us about double the head coach pay, and give us enough to pay maybe $30K each for three assistants [you need four coaches: sprints/hurdles, distance, jumps, throws

.

Also, a solution is to hire one if not two assistants that are currently proven high school coaches. IE: there is the possibility of hiring a qualified assistant or two that can really excel as a UL assistant. Here's the dynamics...high school coaches in Lafayette Parish make $3500 a year to be an assistant in three sports or a head coach in one sport and assistant in another; why wouldn't a respected high school track coach who has been on the college level already not want to make $9000 working the same hours?

[VObserver]

_ .

Also, a solution is to hire one if not two assistants that are currently proven high school coaches. IE: there is the possibility of hiring a qualified assistant or two that can really excel as a UL assistant. Here's the dynamics...high school coaches in Lafayette Parish make $3500 a year to be an assistant in three sports or a head coach in one sport and assistant in another; why wouldn't a respected high school track coach who has been on the college level already not want to make $9000 working the same hours? _

The only HS coach in this area that I would consider hiring works in Iberia parish. Now, that doesn't mean that he is the only one qualified, as it is entirely possible that some others DO exist in Lafayette parish or elsewhere that I don't know about; but none have had the level of success that this one has had, particularly with 'technique event' athletes [hurdles, vault, javelin, discus, triple jump, and to a lesser extent high jump, shot and relays]; and it is my honest opinion [shared by MANY knowledgable track professionals] that those events are where conference meets are won or lost.

In a 10 year span at a class A high school, this coach produced 3 HS All-America javelin throwers [all 200'+ throwers], two state champion triple jumpers [one of whom was a composite state record holder], two state champion long jumpers, four state hurdles champions, two pole vault state champions, a high jump state champion and nearly 20 other D1 track athletes. At other schools, he has produced many more throwers, jumpers and hurdlers who have gone on to compete collegiately.

If this particular guy applied, and I was in charge of hiring, I might even consider him for the HC position.

All that being said, being a track coach, even an assistant, at the D1 level requires much more work than being a track coach in HS. If it is to be done right, it must be done with full-time coaches. I am not AGAINST what you are saying, I am only saying that we should do that only as a last resort if the U can't or won't furnish the $$$ necessary to do it right. We have gone the $9K part time route before, and unless you have a Charles Lancon at the helm it doesn't work.

And there just ain't that many Charles Lancon's.

[spearchucker]

In a 10 year span at a class A high school, this coach produced 3 HS All-America javelin throwers [all 200'+ throwers], two state champion triple jumpers [one of whom was a composite state record holder], two state champion long jumpers, four state hurdles champions, two pole vault state champions, a high jump state champion and nearly 20 other D1 track athletes. At other schools, he has produced many more throwers, jumpers and hurdlers who have gone on to compete collegiately.

Who is this guy? I'm not sure I know who you're talking about...

[VObserver]

Who is this guy? I'm not sure I know who you're talking about... _

Check your private messages.

[GetTheFacts1st]

_ Until you fix the total lack of a throws coach, which can only be addressed by University Money, not booster money, you are p*ssing into the wind. Throwers we used to routinely get here are now going to Northwestern, Nicholls, SLU and McNeese, NOT because we don't recruit them, but because they KNOW we have no one to coach them when they get here, and all those schools have decent to outstanding throws coaches.

I don't know the new jumps coach. Well, I know her, but don't know anything about her as a coach. I do know that the women who scored were good enought to score before she got here, so I'm not giving her credit for developing them, though I will give her credit for keeping them motivated.

None of the other programs you mentioned are paying assistants with booster money. That money goes to travel and equipment.

Oh, and if you expect me to believe you are knowlegable about UL track, at least spell Coach Lancon's name right. _

Throws? Excuse me, but no UL track team ever made it to any NCAA meet in throwing events. Kinda like the worse part of track is FIELD. ARHHHH!

[GetTheFacts1st]

_ _

Nice article for an athlete who is jumping ship and transferring to a Texas school. He's seen enough of the tight discipline, exceptional workouts teaching running strategy and increased chances for breaking 10-flat in the 100-meters. Good ridance. Northside has yet to produce anyone of merit in track & field. Perhaps the Texas school can break that string. the best of luck to the 2nd smart`(The 1st quit and went to LSU 2 years ago when he saw the writing on the wall.) Now we see chapter two of the saga.

[GetTheFacts1st]

_

I have to say as a current UL track athlete, we did better competing this year at conference. We may have gotten last AGAIN but we did have some people qualify for regionals, which we are very proud of. We scored more points than last year and I know that is not good enough but we did try. We want to do better and I think we improved. Maybe not to some peoples standards but we improved on individual standards. We improved on our own abilities and we also improved our interaction with each other as a team. To be honest, we were a TEAM this year. We cheered each other on and ACTED as a TEAM and that was something that we wanted to change and honestly something that we needed. WE as a TEAM accomplished that. In the past years, we haven't smiled at conference but this year there were many smiles. We were so happy for each other and what we all had accomplished. Coming out last did not make us smile but in the end, it really did not matter b/c we were a team for once. We may have come out last but we came out first within each other and excelled at our own personal standards.

We have had a lot of people on our team who have struggled and fallen, but they got back up and fought. For instance, we had a guy run the 10,000 who has been dealing with a stress fracture in his foot for a while now and he pushed it in conference to do well. That is heart! Also, on the sprinter side we had Stacy Fuller who came down with a hamstring injury during the season and GOT BACK UP and qualified for Regionals. He is an amazing athlete with great potential and he will do very well in his college career. He is an inspiration to our team. Also on the sprinter side is _____ ____ who has dealt with many injuries. She is pretty much the most stubborn but has much heart in what she does. She has been dealing with an injured foot due to multiple stress fractures for the past 3 months. That injury did not stop her because throughout the last 3 months she has improved her time. She ran the 400m in conference but during the race her foot gave out but she finished the race. That is heart! She was supposed to anchor the 4x4 too and usually she is the alternate that steps up for the team when something goes wrong. She is always there and willing. That is heart! Kayla Vice, on the other hand, won conference in the pole vault. She has overcome a torn ACL and a sprained ankle and this is all in 2 years. When she messed up her ankle last year, there was a chance she wasn't going to be able to pole vault ever again. Well, she proved that wrong and came back strong and healthy for conference and unbelievably won! Her heart is so big and her goal was to win. She overcame everything and accomplished what she wanted. A gold medal! Luke Moody, after struggling from his injury last year, decreased his time every meet and finished out his last outdoor season like he wanted. He has dealt with a lot and he has GOTTEN UP. He has one of the biggest hearts on our team. He has not missed one practice and by that shows. That’s heart! Roderick Houston, he has a hamstring problem and has been dealing with it for some time. He ran is butt off in the 4x1 relay and he played a huge role in the reason why they are going to regionals. He always said they were going to regionals and he was confident in doing so. He still has the injury too. I can keep going but we ALL have heart.

Of all the things that are posted on this site, they have made us stronger as a team. We appreciate that people care so much about our program and we hope you continue to do so. Until next year, we hope we can make our fans happier. This is only the beginning! _

I commend those who havd headed in the right direction and I have compassion for those who have not had the great collegiate expereince that those before you expereinced. If yo look at the record books, UL track was all the things you mention going back to the 1970's and maybe before. For more than 30 years, UL track was all the things you mention until coach lascon died. Sinxe then, it's been straight downhill with excuses made for those at fault. If you are an athlete at UL then you know it is more than money. A lack of discipline and organization are the first two things that stick out. When people don't go to to practice, fail to complete workouts, fail to make it to meets, bickering with one another, fail to compete and complete events entered, smart off to everyone in sight, and coaches do nothing about it, therein lies the problem. Nice guys finish last and so has UL for four years. Time for across the board changes. Stay tuned, good news is about to come your way and the way of a couple of hundred alums who have seen the fruits of their labor crumble to nothing in the past four years.

[GetTheFacts1st]

_ The only HS coach in this area that I would consider hiring works in Iberia parish. Now, that doesn't mean that he is the only one qualified, as it is entirely possible that some others DO exist in Lafayette parish or elsewhere that I don't know about; but none have had the level of success that this one has had, particularly with 'technique event' athletes [hurdles, vault, javelin, discus, triple jump, and to a lesser extent high jump, shot and relays]; and it is my honest opinion [shared by MANY knowledgable track professionals] that those events are where conference meets are won or lost.

In a 10 year span at a class A high school, this coach produced 3 HS All-America javelin throwers [all 200'+ throwers], two state champion triple jumpers [one of whom was a composite state record holder], two state champion long jumpers, four state hurdles champions, two pole vault state champions, a high jump state champion and nearly 20 other D1 track athletes. At other schools, he has produced many more throwers, jumpers and hurdlers who have gone on to compete collegiately.

If this particular guy applied, and I was in charge of hiring, I might even consider him for the HC position.

All that being said, being a track coach, even an assistant, at the D1 level requires much more work than being a track coach in HS. If it is to be done right, it must be done with full-time coaches. I am not AGAINST what you are saying, I am only saying that we should do that only as a last resort if the U can't or won't furnish the $$$ necessary to do it right. We have gone the $9K part time route before, and unless you have a Charles Lancon at the helm it doesn't work.

And there just ain't that many Charles Lancon's. _

You are right. In fact, there are none. All the more reason not to even consider a HS coach. Only a coach with recruiting ties to some JC's to kick start it and then to get atheltes with strong work ethics, size and more than 5th place in a class A Lousiana State Meet.

With all due respect, Iberia Parish has no one that this school should be considering, unless we want next to last place instead of last. All the Iberai coach has done is squeeze everyhitng form these kids in HS. How many have gone to an NCAA? THAT is the REAL measure.

[GetTheFacts1st]

_ I would like to see all three of those in the Cajun fold. I know it won't happen, but I would like to see it. Silve is one of the best track coaches ever at any level, and the other two guys are also proven, successful coaches.

I will say it again. We could have hired the best jumps coach in the country when Charles died, but the U refused to pay him his very modest salary request, and refused to give him enough money to hire good assistants. This time around, if indeed there is going to be a coaching change, we MUST be willing to put as much University money into coaching salaries for track as we currently spend on the entire track budget. That would let us about double the head coach pay, and give us enough to pay maybe $30K each for three assistants [you need four coaches: sprints/hurdles, distance, jumps, throws]. Maybe, just maybe, the recent actions by the UL system and the State to allow schools to spend about double what was previously allowed of State money on athletics, will allow us to do this.

As for re-naming the facility; don't hold your breath. I understand there are political considerations at work that are holding that up. _

I thought you knew a lot about UL track.. If you did, you'd know ther naming thing is a done deal. The only reminaing problem is getting folks like yourself used to pronouncing the word C-O-L-E before the word L-A-S-C-O-N)