15,053

[Turbine]

. . . this sounds so much like an over exaggeration it should probably be given no significance . . .

Good looking high school unis.

[JamesTheJeweler]

My first paragraph is what he did. Everyone thinks Hud flexed his muscles and rah rah rah people into the stadium. I don’t think it was his personality.

Didn't say it was. He got out into the community. He shook hands. He invited people to come out. Say what you want about his personality or his method. It worked. If you want to find ways to poke holes in that, knock yourself out. He did what no one else was able to do.

[Cajunsmike]

Missed more than a few Saints games growing up due to that restriction.

There has never been a blackout for college games.

[jaxmc1023]

Didn't say it was. He got out into the community. He shook hands. He invited people to come out. Say what you want about his personality or his method. It worked. If you want to find ways to poke holes in that, knock yourself out. He did what no one else was able to do.

Anyone have data one how many tickets lots get bought up every weekend by large companies? HUD vs Now?

[CajunVic]

Anyone have data one how many tickets lots get bought up every weekend by large companies? HUD vs Now?

. . . if I had to guess, those were bought as season tickets . . . it is not like we generally have games on our home schedule that are mounds better than other games on the schedule which would be an instance where blocks would be purchased by businesses for that particular game . . .

[facelessjonmoon]

Anyone have data one how many tickets lots get bought up every weekend by large companies? HUD vs Now?

That would be interesting to see. HUD's attendance drop also coincided with the oilfield downturn in 2014-15. The other reasons were mentioned above, but that would have likely factored in with the large blocks of tickets previously bought by companies

To be clear- we are past that downturn for the most part now but we need to figure out how to get those blocks of tickets sales and/ or tailgating spots back

[Cajun Soldier]

Didn't say it was. He got out into the community. He shook hands. He invited people to come out. Say what you want about his personality or his method. It worked. If you want to find ways to poke holes in that, knock yourself out. He did what no one else was able to do.

I've saying this for three years I agree with you 100%

[GeauxCajuns]

anyone remember when did we start selling beer at Cajun field? I remember that being a big push for attendance because we were one of only a few in the country that were selling beer.

[jaxmc1023]

anyone remember when did we start selling beer at Cajun field? I remember that being a big push for attendance because we were one of only a few in the country that were selling beer.

2009

[CajunT]

That would be interesting to see. HUD's attendance drop also coincided with the oilfield downturn in 2014-15. The other reasons were mentioned above, but that would have likely factored in with the large blocks of tickets previously bought by companies

To be clear- we are past that downturn for the most part now but we need to figure out how to get those blocks of tickets sales and/ or tailgating spots back

That block accounted for over 43% of the annual season ticket sales.

[Duckster]

Hud took off like a rocket then as rockets do, fizzled out. He's what we needed at the time. Hud even was going around, at least in the early years to the small town Chamber of Commerce banquets as the keynote speaker. He was visible. Did that make him a better head coach? Nope. But he raised expectations and brought in new fans and money before his fizzle out stage began in 2015. Some might say the fizzle began during the 2014 season. Not pining for Hud's return, but that was as others have correctly stated 'a different time'. The one thing though that would be extremely helpful every off season is Head Coach Mike D. making a meet & greet alumni+ road show to every Acadiana parish and go to Houston, BR, and New Orleans, too. Bring other head coaches as well. That alone will not result in hundreds more season tickets sold. But sometimes you have to go to where people are on the outside looking in, personally invite them to c'mon back. And if coordinated gets media and others talking about your program in off season. One of the largest responsibilities of leadership is communications or in today's lingo- messaging. Messaging with the Ragin Cajun fanbase/customers is average at best at all management levels of the university. IMO this communications complacency is a significant root cause of our fanbase becoming a mile wide and inch thick.

[CajunVic]

. . . uggghhhhh, I have looked at the fanbase and they way more than an inch thick . . .

[Esqueleto]

Hud took off like a rocket then as rockets do, fizzled out. He's what we needed at the time. Hud even was going around, at least in the early years to the small town Chamber of Commerce banquets as the keynote speaker. He was visible. Did that make him a better head coach? Nope. But he raised expectations and brought in new fans and money before his fizzle out stage began in 2015. Some might say the fizzle began during the 2014 season. Not pining for Hud's return, but that was as others have correctly stated 'a different time'. The one thing though that would be extremely helpful every off season is Head Coach Mike D. making a meet & greet alumni+ road show to every Acadiana parish and go to Houston, BR, and New Orleans, too. Bring other head coaches as well. That alone will not result in hundreds more season tickets sold. But sometimes you have to go to where people are on the outside looking in, personally invite them to c'mon back. And if coordinated gets media and others talking about your program in off season. One of the largest responsibilities of leadership is communications or in today's lingo- messaging. Messaging with the Ragin Cajun fanbase/customers is average at best at all management levels of the university. IMO this communications complacency is a significant root cause of our fanbase becoming a mile wide and inch thick.

How about setting up shop at all of our local grocery stores of the Ragin Cajuns, Super1, during our ticket sales drive period and greet customers as they're leaving and promote season tickets, maybe have a booth right there at the exit selling season passes. You could have the mascot out there interacting with the kids. That ____ would be too easy.

[Turbine]

There will never be another Hud, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the great.

When it comes to promoting, that doesn't mean UL can't learn from him.

[CajunVic]

. . . I have told this story before about HUD but it so demonstrates his tenacity and perception . . . his first year here, my kids were at Cathedral (purple and gold tigers) . . . Coach Doe's son was in one of my son's classes and he coached the Cathedral school baseball team, so we had access to the indoor practice facility . . . I was there watching with a purple Cathedral shirt . . . HUD after finishing some work with some linemen in the facility (we were both in the facility because of adverse weather) was walking out and screamed across the facility "hey you, (of course pointing at the guy with the purple shirt) are you lost or something, that university is 60 miles east of here"

. . . everybody in the facility, including his linemen got a rise . . . that was HUD . . . everywhere he went, even at home, he was selling . . .