FB 2007 UL vs McNeese

[CajunProud]

_ Hey, if for some reason Terry Burrows doesn't work out, can we have Coach Robe back, please....., please...., pretty please??



Doc _

He's the best thing to happen to this University athletic wise period. Sorry, once we have a good one, we don't give em back However, we love to keep the bad ones for a long time also.

[CajunGuru]

_ Guru, I whole-heartedly agree with you. You need to go after those guys for sure. Matt Viator is not a UL kind-of-guy. And, if he just so happens to lead the Cowboys to the FCS Championship this year, put him as far down your priority list as you can.

Clint Conque at UCA is more the type guy you want anyway, okay? _

Viator will be any kind of man that money buys my friend. I don't care what he has told the McNeese crowd. Second, if he wins the SLC championship it will be his first. Now, I think the word I used was Championships. He ain't at the top of the list my friend. But the bottomline is money and $190,000 won't buy the Cajuns anyone. Conque has not won anything in the SLC yet, but does have a championship in DivII.

[J-Town Cajun]

Viator would be a very good hire. I know the guy well and he does not except losing. He coached me in Jennings and won a state championship in his 2nd year, something Jennings has not done in 53 years before. He has twice been selected high school coach of the year and in his first year at McNeese he was the SLC coach of the year and will win it again this year. I would support Viator being hired.

[Cowboy Up]

Viator will be any kind of man that money buys my friend. I don't care what he has told the McNeese crowd. Second, if he wins the SLC championship it will be his first. Now, I think the word I used was Championships. He ain't at the top of the list my friend. But the bottomline is money and $190,000 won't buy the Cajuns anyone. Conque has not won anything in the SLC yet, but those have a championship in DivII.

First, Guru, if Viator wins the SLC it will be his second in a row. He inherited a very disorganized team last year at mid-season and proceeded to win the SLC in his first year as head coach. Now, if he takes McNeese to the FCS Championship game and wins, it will be the first for the team and the Southland Conference.

My entire post was "tongue-in-cheek", but I agree with you $190,000 will not buy UL the coach you need. Right now the only coach lower paid in the Sun Belt is Weatherbie at ULM. So, I guess money is a very strong starting point. And for the record McNeese is not ready to part with Coach Viator just yet.

On another note, Guru, did Rich Rodriguez (UWV), Seclfo (Tulane), the Steelers coach, Larry Blakeney (Troy) turn down UL after the departure of Stokely over money? I only ask because that was a pretty good group of applicants that was available or at least the quality potential was there that these men eventually proved.

This is a geniune question and is asked with respect for UL because I really want to know what happened.

[CajunGuru]

_ First, Guru, if Viator wins the SLC it will be his second in a row. He inherited a very disorganized team last year at mid-season and proceeded to win the SLC in his first year as head coach. Now, if he takes McNeese to the FCS Championship game and wins, it will be the first for the team and the Southland Conference.

My entire post was "tongue-in-cheek", but I agree with you $190,000 will not buy UL the coach you need. Right now the only coach lower paid in the Sun Belt is Weatherbie at ULM. So, I guess money is a very strong starting point. And for the record McNeese is not ready to part with Coach Viator just yet.

On another note, Guru, did Rich Rodriguez (UWV), Seclfo (Tulane), the Steelers coach, Larry Blakeney (Troy) turn down UL after the departure of Stokely over money? I only ask because that was a pretty good group of applicants that was available or at least the quality potential was there that these men eventually proved.

This is a geniune question and is asked with respect for UL because I really want to know what happened. _

Then I stand corrected CowBoy up. I would interview Viator and Conque, but my standard is more then one winning season and championship. Conque has done it a lower lever, but not in the SLC.

The Cajuns would have to pay more then $190,000 to lure Viator and Conque away from their current positions. They both know that they will have opportunities eventually in Div1A if they continue to win.

Rich Rodriguez actually contacted the Cajun Administration the year before Stokely's last about the position. Of course, the Administration told him we were going to allow Stokely another year. He was willing to negotiate with us then, but the next year he was interviewed along with Seclfo, Blakeney and Timlin. Timlin, Rodriguez and Seclfo all declined the position. Timlin stated publicly in the Pittsburgh paper that he declined the position because the administration was not committed to improving facilities. Blakeney actually accepted the position with Nelson Scexnider, but Doc refused to sign off on him because of his involvement at Auburn with the NCAA investigation. Of course he was never named in any official findings, but Doc refused Nelson's decision. So Blakeney never turned the job down, he was rejected by good ole Doc. So there you have it, a series of blunders under the current administration.

The next decision needs to be one that considers head coaches at winning programs. We can't afford head coaches from mid-majors and I certainly don't want to pay for another coordinator or position coach from a BCS program. We know the going rate is going to be at least $250,000 to take over this program, Tech paid $300,000 for a position coach. I think the better route for us is to interviews head coaches from Div1 playoff division. And even then, it will take some money to draw any of those coaches away from winning programs. We must also be willing to commit raising funds for the football program and stop holding our hand out to the state. It's not going to happen.

[srevere51]

We must also be willing to commit raising funds for the football program and stop holding our hand out to the state.

www.uoflgifts.com is a place that you can donate to athletics or to the University
here is a list of what has been going on in the last few years
http://www.uoflgifts.com/uploads/ATH...tedMay2006.doc

[Clutch0364]

_ Then I stand corrected CowBoy up. I would interview Viator and Conque, but my standard is more then one winning season and championship. Conque has done it a lower lever, but not in the SLC.

The Cajuns would have to pay more then $190,000 to lure Viator and Conque away from their current positions. They both know that they will have opportunities eventually in Div1A if they continue to win.

Rich Rodriguez actually contacted the Cajun Administration the year before Stokely's last about the position. Of course, the Administration told him we were going to allow Stokely another year. He was willing to negotiate with us then, but the next year he was interviewed along with Seclfo, Blakeney and Timlin. Timlin, Rodriguez and Seclfo all declined the position. Timlin stated publicly in the Pittsburgh paper that he declined the position because the administration was not committed to improving facilities. Blakeney actually accepted the position with Nelson Scexnider, but Doc refused to sign off on him because of his involvement at Auburn with the NCAA investigation. Of course he was never named in any official findings, but Doc refused Nelson's decision. So Blakeney never turned the job down, he was rejected by good ole Doc. So there you have it, a series of blunders under the current administration.

The next decision needs to be one that considers head coaches at winning programs. We can't afford head coaches from mid-majors and I certainly don't want to pay for another coordinator or position coach from a BCS program. We know the going rate is going to be at least $250,000 to take over this program, Tech paid $300,000 for a position coach. I think the better route for us is to interviews head coaches from Div1 playoff division. And even then, it will take some money to draw any of those coaches away from winning programs. We must also be willing to commit raising funds for the football program and stop holding our hand out to the state. It's not going to happen. _

Guru the guy I keep saying is Chris Hather at Georgia Southern, he makes right at 200,000 a year right now.

Who are some other names you think would be good hires out of 1aa?

[Hammer58]

_ www.uoflgifts.com is a place that you can donate to athletics or to the University
here is a list of what has been going on in the last few years
http://www.uoflgifts.com/uploads/ATH...tedMay2006.doc _

Unfortunatley, that has been Doc's idea of athletic fundraising; if you can dig around and find us we'll be glad to take your money. Our admin has been a passive fundraiser for athletics. We need a proactive organization. And as good as Gerald Hebert is, one mand does not constitute an organization.

[CajunGuru]

_ www.uoflgifts.com is a place that you can donate to athletics or to the University
here is a list of what has been going on in the last few years
http://www.uoflgifts.com/uploads/ATH...tedMay2006.doc _

I've been donating to this program for some time my friend in season tickets, volunteering time on projects and small purchases. You are speaking to the choir, but be my guest.

[Cayenne Eyeman]

_ Viator would be a very good hire. I know the guy well and he does not except losing. He coached me in Jennings and won a state championship in his 2nd year, something Jennings has not done in 53 years before. He has twice been selected high school coach of the year and in his first year at McNeese he was the SLC coach of the year and will win it again this year. I would support Viator being hired. _

You are right, Jtown. A lot of character in that coach and amazing how quickly he turned a floundering team into winners...inheriting them mid season with a losing record and poor recruiting after a whole year of road games post Rita. He is an impressive motivator. Makes you wonder what he could do with the talent on this team...HMMM.

[USLJim]

_ Wow. I guess you want to give Coach Robichaux back to the McNeeses??? _

Coach Robe has nothing to do with Football, we are talking about the football
program not baseball. That is another world. There are a lot of coaches who would love to coach UL Baseball now. Coach Robe is THE MAN. No way do we let this man get away. He is the best coach this University has had in 50 or so years. AS youknow his program is respected nationally and most of all by this community and other state colleges.
Geaux Cajuns

[CajunGuru]

_ Guru the guy I keep saying is Chris Hather at Georgia Southern, he makes right at 200,000 a year right now.

Who are some other names you think would be good hires out of 1aa? _

Chris Hather is certainly a good candidate to interview. But keep in mind, he will be on the radar of other programs as well. I would like to get a coach from a southern program, because with our budget we need to recruit mainly in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi. The question remains, what is this administration willing to pay a good coach to turn around this program? My suggestion is to start at $250,000, and move from that number.