Robichaux on Elite-8-Hundred List
LOUISIANA – With an 18-2 win over UNO on Saturday at Maestri Field, the Cajuns not only secured a weekend sweep of the Privateers and fifth place in the Sun Belt Conference, but also delivered head coach Tony Robichaux something quite momentous. He earned his 800th career victory, joining an elite list of just 30 active NCAA Division I coaches with 800 or more lifetime wins.
Robichaux earns win No. 800 in his 23rd year as a head coach in NCAA Division I baseball, and his 15th year as the skipper for the Ragin’ Cajuns. He owns an 800-535-1 (.599) overall career record, including a 537-358-1 (.600) record at UL. In Sun Belt Conference play, Robichaux is 254-149 (.596).
Despite the accomplishments that have been recorded in his name, Robichaux says that the accomplishment is not just his.
“All of my wins come from two mid-major programs, and that’s something to be proud of. But what’s important to me is that the universities get the credit. So many of my assistant coaches and players got me to where I am.”
Assistant coaches such as John Szcef, Todd Butler, Jason Gonzalez, Jimmy Rickelfsen, Wade Simoneaux, Anthony Babineaux and the most recent addition to the Cajuns’ staff Mike Trahan have helped Robichaux produce 13 All-Americans and send 38 players to the Major League Baseball draft.
Robichaux’s coaching career has found him coaching at two schools that he attended. During his time as a student-athlete, he played for both the McNeese State Cowboys and the Ragin’ Cajuns.
“It’s been good to get the wins at schools I played for, and to be able to give back to the schools that gave me the opportunities to play and get to where I am today.”
Robichaux ranks second among current Sun Belt coaches, behind only South Alabama’s longtime head coach Steve Kittrell, who owns a record of 1022-605-1 in his 28th season. Robichaux became just the 30th active head coach to reach 800 victories, and only seven of those coaches have fewer seasons under their belt than Robichaux. He is the fifth coach to reach the mark this season, joining Gary Gilmore of Coastal Carolina, Jim Wells of Alabama, Gary Powers of Nevada and Wayne Graham of Rice.
Robichaux’s list of honors is long: three-time Sun Belt Coach of the Year (1997, 2005, 2007), four-time Louisiana Coach of the Year (1997, 1999, 2000, 2007), two-time ABCA South Central Coach of the Year (1999, 2000) and one Southland Conference Coach of the Year nod.
Those honors were all specters of the future when Robichaux started his coaching career.
“When you start, you don’t look that far ahead. You just try to keep your nose in the dirt and stay focused. I’m fortunate to have been doing this as long as I have, but it’s never been about me, it’s about the university and the student-athletes.”
On March 17, 2003, Robichaux became UL’s all-time winningest coach with a 7-1 win over Illinois-Chicago in Lafayette, his 292nd win with the Cajuns. He topped former head coach Mike Boulanger, who was 291-141-2 in seven years at Louisiana, from 1988 to 1994.
In eight seasons as the head coach at McNeese State, he compiled a 263-177 (.598) record, including an 80-72 (.526) mark in Southland Conference action. He is also McNeese State’s all-time winningest coach.
A 1986 graduate of McNeese State, Robichaux took over as head coach for the 1987 season, becoming the NCAA’s youngest head coach at the time at the age of 26. In 2002 he became one of only eight coaches in NCAA Division I history to win his 500th career game before the age of 41.
Robichaux’s accomplishments in his career are many, including some important firsts in both McNeese State and the Ragin’ Cajuns’ histories. As head coach, he led the Cowboys to their first-ever national ranking, first Southland Conference title, first NCAA Tournament win, and broke the school’s single-season school record, going on to break his own mark twice. Under his tutelage, the McNeese State pitching staff ranked in the top six in the nation in ERA three times, including second in 1990.
With Louisiana, Robichaux earned the school’s first-ever Super Regional and College World Series appearances, and led the Cajuns to a school-record 49 win season during a historic run to Omaha in 2000. Louisiana hosted the school’s first NCAA Regional that same year. Robichaux has led the Ragin’ Cajuns to seven NCAA tournament berths and five 40-win seasons. The Cajuns’ pitching staff has ranked first in the Sun Belt in ERA in this and the four previous seasons, and seven of the last eight seasons.
Aside from his accomplishments between the lines, Robichaux has also improved the overall programs at both McNeese State and Louisiana, as well as the surrounding communities. During his tenure, UL added an aluminum outfield wall and 71-foot scoreboard in 1996, as well as new home plate netting, a new sound system and chairback seating in the box seats in 1999. In 2003, he led the addition of bleacher seating along the third and first base lines. Robichaux makes frequent visits to the Children’s Hospital in Houston and is the Acadiana region spokesman for the United Way.
Robichaux earned his 100th win with McNeese State with a 5-2 win over Stephen F. Austin on May 5, 1990. His 200th win came with McNeese on May 15, 1993 in a 4-2 win over Northwestern State. His 300th victory was with the Cajuns on May 14, 1997, with an 8-4 win over Jacksonville, and his 400th was a 6-5 defeat of UALR on April 17, 1999. Win 500 was a 12-5 victory over Texas-Pan American on March 2, 2002, while the 600th was an 11-7 decision against Southern on Feb. 18, 2005. His 700th win was on March 24, 2007, with a 5-2 defeat of FAU.
Even with the prestige of 800 wins, Robichaux is still quick to point out the larger importance of his duties.
“I think the ultimate goal is to prepare players for the ‘real games,’ life’s personal and professional challenges. And if we, as coaches, can do that through baseball, that’s the important thing.”
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Re: Robichaux on Elite-8-Hundred List
Originally Posted by IHateLaState
