I'm just going to throw this out there for some of you to ponder on. I graduated from USL over 50 years ago, and I have been giving my money to the athletic department, in different percentages of my salary, since the basketball team came off the death penalty. I have been at events where different teams raised money, and I have been seated in the President's box and AD's box at Cajun Field many times.
President Authement knew me by first name, and I was a good friend with his daughter, God rest her soul. I know Joe Savoie very well, and would call him a friend even though we do not go out to dinner with each other, or visit in our homes. Being President of a university of over 16,000 students is a major job. They do not have time to attend concerts, football, basketball, and baseball games, but yet they seem to find the time. They go to those events to listen to people talk in an informal setting. That is one way the President can keep his ear on how the public feels about the university.
I have had more conversations with the President of USL/UL over the past 50 years than I have had with the coaches of the mens teams, yet it is the AD, RCAF, and the athletic Department that seems to ask me for more and more dollars.
My point is that prior to getting the Administration to care about what the fan base has to say, I think we should get the coaches to care about what we think. With the exception of Tony Robichaux and Billy Napier I guarantee none of the rest of the other head coaches over the past 50 years cared about what the fan base thought about their programs. One possible exception to that statement was Marty Fletcher.
Please give me a reason that the current head coach of our football teams makes over $100K/years when he had ZERO college experience as a head coach? Please tell me why Bob Marlin is still the Cajuns head coach? What has he done for our program that was not done on a higher level prior to his arrival?
Our administration does not care because the Coaches themselves do not care.