Year two under way
Bustle continues rebuilding South Louisiana PublishingLAFAYETTE — Last year was an eye-opening experience for Rickey Bustle, who endured a 3-9 record in his first season as head football coach at Louisiana.
After years as a highly successful offensive assistant coach and coordinator, Bustle got the chance to direct his own program with the Ragin’ Cajuns.
He didn’t grab lightning in a bottle and wow fans with the product on the field in his initial campaign, but success may not be that far away.
“The biggest thing I’ve enjoyed about the first year is our players,” Bustle said. “This is my team now. It’s on me, and that’s how it should be.
“We try to be creative in what we do, and I’m involved in everything we do.”
Bustle and his coaching staff grew through the experience of the 2002 season, and so should be better equipped to deal with similar situations when they crop up in 2003.
“Going into spring, we’re further along as coaches,” Bustle said. “We can move with the knowledge of what we can do, and the players know what to expect from us.
“It’s still a learning deal every day. We’re learning how these players learn, and how to teach them. It’s not important for us to know what we know, as much as it’s important for the players to understand what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”
Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com
Quote
Cajuns focus on teaching
