Head Coach Mike Desormeaux

[Jacob81]

I don’t think it’s a lock. I love the hire. I’m glad it’s from within. I’m not going to over react to the minute by minute changes happening. Yes if a staff or coach recruited a player and now that staff or coach is gone I expect some decommits. But it’s day 1. Let the dust settle. If we don’t sign a solid enough class in February, then start worrying. Nothing you can control at this point.

And yes billy won here like never before and locally and nationally still didn’t get recognition. That’s why he’s gone and I wish he would have said it on the way out. This community should be embarrassed by the support we gave.

Napier, rankings, and Mike are all more than this community deserves. But for the small group of diehards. 15,000 or so, I bet the majority loves the hire. Call it what you want.

[ULGrad@HOU]

I don’t think it’s a lock. I love the hire. I’m glad it’s from within. I’m not going to over react to the minute by minute changes happening. Yes if a staff or coach recruited a player and now that staff or coach is gone I expect some decommits. But it’s day 1. Let the dust settle. If we don’t sign a solid enough class in February, then start worrying. Nothing you can control at this point.

And yes billy won here like never before and locally and nationally still didn’t get recognition. That’s why he’s gone and I wish he would have said it on the way out. This community should be embarrassed by the support we gave.

Napier, rankings, and Mike are all more than this community deserves. But for the small group of diehards. 15,000 or so, I bet the majority loves the hire. Call it what you want.

I'm a diehard fan. Not just a fan. An Alum, a supporter and a fan.

[JMV JustMyView]

I'm also an Acadiana High Grad, way before you. So what. This is about UL. This is about hiring the best possible candidate for the job. Some of you are so oblivious as to what has kept UL down in the first place. So essentially, JMVCajuns, you are saying, Dr. Maggard never set out to find the best person available, he had set his mind on an internal hire weeks ago. Wow, that is reassuring.

I never said that. I said Dr. Maggard has been looking for Coach Napier replacement for a while now. Coach Napier was never supposed to be hear longer than 2 or 3 years. The best available is Mike in Dr. Maggards eyes. Believe me if Mike doesn't work out Dr. Maggard already has his wish list ready.

[Bandwagon King]

Y’all are like the FBI. We need bugs in maggards office. I need to know exactly who and what was said. Did we interview everyone possible, did we settle for Mike? Did anyone turn down the job? Did we USL it? Are we going to suck again?

Take a breath. We are winners. We will stay winners.

Why does this sound like an LSU thread? Oh yeah, we'll be fine UL recruits itself. Etc.

[JMV JustMyView]

I'm a diehard fan.

More like a negative blow hard.

[Jacob81]

He did mentioned that internal and external candidates were interviewed.

The Acadiana high point was to say. I like my high school players going play for my college and my college players going play for the saints( my pro team). I promise you a lot of fbs teams have coaches who played at that school and it works.

[ULGrad@HOU]

More like a negative blow hard.

Cheerleader.

[ULGrad@HOU]

More like a negative blow hard.

Because I won't accept cronyism?

[cajunhawk]

I don’t think it’s a lock. I love the hire. I’m glad it’s from within. I’m not going to over react to the minute by minute changes happening. Yes if a staff or coach recruited a player and now that staff or coach is gone I expect some decommits. But it’s day 1. Let the dust settle. If we don’t sign a solid enough class in February, then start worrying. Nothing you can control at this point.

And yes billy won here like never before and locally and nationally still didn’t get recognition. That’s why he’s gone and I wish he would have said it on the way out. This community should be embarrassed by the support we gave.

Napier, rankings, and Mike are all more than this community deserves. But for the small group of diehards. 15,000 or so, I bet the majority loves the hire. Call it what you want.

I’ve called it hubris. Complete lack of humility. Everything will be fine. What, me worry?

Professionally and personally I’ve always found people who worry about everything are usually over-prepared for what happens, and people who don’t usually get hit over the head with what they didn’t think they needed to worry about.

As far as this decision goes, it’s a lynch pin in the future of this program. Hopefully Maggard sheds some light on the hiring process, because we deserve it.

[ULGrad@HOU]

It shouldn't be a surprise. I mentioned 2 months ago on the South Alabama game thread that the next UL coach was already on the staff.

Sounds like you did say it. Liar.

[zephyr]

As I tried to explain last week, this was a unique coaching hire for UL.

Because every other football hire ever, we were trying to fix something.

Now we are trying to sustain it.

You think Dr. Maggard is taking a chance here. I do not.

I think taking a chance would be to hire ________________, watch him fire the whole staff, watch a dozen or more players enter the transfer portal to go along with the graduating seniors and have to rebuild something that didn't need rebuilding.

Or you take the advice of a man who took your program to heights we've only dreamed of, along with other former coaches who all said the same thing: Mike is ready.

Now, some of you said ( and I totally understand) about Mike never having coached anywhere else....that he needed experience. What you aren't understanding is, the experience was brought to HIM in the person of Billy Napier.

I think promoting from within was absolutely the smartest move. Now, he'll have to make good hires with Toney, Juluke and Hocke leaving. We will miss those guys and there's a reason why Billy is taking them to FL.

And, we know what's going to happen now. Every time we lose a game, some of you will be screaming Maggard made a mistake, just like some of you screamed every time Levi didn't make a play.

Now, to answer some questions that were asked but not answered here.

Mike will be formally introduced Tuesday afternoon. Everyone will be on the road recruiting tomorrow. I'm pretty sure the public will be invited, and I"m sure it will be at the Stadium Club.

Bryan did not give terms of the contract because there are still a couple of things to be worked out. That will be unveiled Tuesday as well. And, yes, Mike does have representation.

Mike was offered the job noon Friday.

As I said earlier in the week, Mike checks every one of Maggard's boxes.

I've known Mike since he set foot on campus. He was one of the best competitors I've ever covered and was as tough as anyone we've had at the QB position. He has a high moral compass. He's a good family man.

I think Dr. Maggard has hit another homer.

I get it. He checks all the boxes Maggard had set up. He's a tough competitor which really doesn't have anything to do with coaching. He's of high moral character which I will not debate and I love Des and from all accounts is a great guy and he's a family man. Again, much of this does not have to do with results on the field. Did Maggard have boxes to cross in regards to head coaching or coordinator experience? Relationships with outside coaches etc..? Maybe Des steps in and just kills it and obviously I hope he does but it doesn't mean that there shouldn't be questions asked of this hire, especially since none of us know who the other candidates were.

[zephyr]

It shouldn't be a surprise. I mentioned 2 months ago on the South Alabama game thread that the next UL coach was already on the staff. Guys listen to JMV every once in a while. I personally am not that close to the sources, but I have a podna who is as close to the source as can be. This has been in the making for a while. Dr. Maggard is a smart man and has folks lined up ready to take over if needed. Post 306 of this thread if you don't want to go back that far. Listen to me other external candidates were interviewed. Dr. Maggard even flew to meet a few.

Just because you mentioned it doesn't make it any less of a surprise.