Matt Viator

[Red Tide]

_ Why would we want a coach that can't win in the postseason?


igeaux.mobi _

Don't you think our biggest priority would be to get to the post season first?

[Clutch0364]

_ I think what is being pointed out is that he was at an FCS school first before being OC at Oregon and the last time I checked UL's football program and the Sunbelt are not Oregon's or the Pac 10's. The jump from the Southland to the Sunbelt for a HC isn't that great. Paul Johnson went from being HC at Georgia Southern FCS to Navy FBS and did very well. _

I am not against a lower level guy but there are a lot better lower level guys than Viator.

[allncr1966]

_ I thought McNeese was just disguised as a University but was in fact Ryan Street High School? Nothing funnier than seeing someone proudly display there MSU alum license plate and wondering what kind of career path they had majoring in Cow Milking. Goldman Sachs doesn't have a barn out back. _

CajunHawk its one thing to take friendly jabs at other schools and thats cool but you go overboard I notice like the only university in the world is UL. I am a UL alum and proud of it. I have given money to UL but my son went to McNeese because he wanted to run track and they were the only one who offered him a free ride. Naturally I was offended and picked at him about it but I went and supported him and the program for 4 years. He qualified for the NCAA championships his senior year and even though he didn't do well he had a great experience. His career path I am sorry to admit to you is that he graduated from McNeese in pre med and had to go to a sorry little med school named Harvard and is now doing residency at a pitful place called Johns Hopkins. He is not the exception to the rule by the way McNeese has one of the highest medical school acceptance percentages in the state. Students at all universities work hard for their degrees no matter where they go so I never insult in a mean spritied way in what they have accomplished. I know you probably don't care and thats fine but I do.

[allncr1966]

_ Why would we want a coach that can't win in the postseason?


igeaux.mobi _

True but at least he got to them postseason. When was the last time UL got to the post season?

[Rebel02]

And yet he's still a coach at a I-AA school and apparently isn't moving up (just like McNeese) to I-A. He got an interview and that's it. He is not a serious candidate.

True but at least he got to them postseason. When was the last time UL got to the post season?

igeaux.mobi

[Rebel02]

Our next coach will get us there. That coach will not be a coach from a current I-AA school.

Don't you think our biggest priority would be to get to the post season first?

igeaux.mobi

[RaginWaldo]

_ More brilliant commentary Waldo...keep it coming son!! _

I was basically stating that his views are totally belligerent to the hate that he has towards McNeese and puts UL on a pedestal even though there are countless others that think the same way about our university. So basically he is the pot calling the kettle Black. but you are way too ignorant to understand this and only have the comprehension of a 3rd grade level at best.

[Just1More]

As far as small divisions school coaches not being able to recruit to larger schools. Tell that to Bobby Bowden, Jim Tressel, Paul Johnson, and the Notre Dame coach whose name escapes me all were head coaches at D1-AA or FCS schools before becoming HC at FBS schools. In fact the Notre Dame coach won 2 or 3 Div III natioinal champioinships before getting a head coaching job at an FBS school.

Many who comment on Viator and McNeese's recruiting have looked to a few extremes in both directions. They have recruited some of the same players and they have been able to take some athletes we would not/cannot take (accept). However, as CajunT pointed out in a very good discussion regarding recruiting, you cannot talk about a program and their current coach's recruiting ability without looking at the program itself. Notre Dame recruits on "Notre Dame"... not the coach. And that was also the case with your other coaching mentions. The school itself drew the recruits when those guys moved up.

At UL, we have to depend on the coach's recruiting ability... above the football reputation of the university. We, UL, are not currently bragging about our recruiting. We need to elevate it significantly. One of those significant elevations is to get the 3 star and an occasional 4 star player from our area. I'm not saying Viator cannot do that... but he has not done that at McNeese... and he will not have a tradition at UL to break that streak.

I think he'd probably be a fine coach. He would get some good talent. But again... UL needs to find a way to recruit "exceptional talent", above what we are now.

I don't know who we will end up with as our next coach. But, most fans were aiming, with the increased money, to not only seek out a coach with a very good track record as a coach (for the money we have) but also a name that draws that higher to reach recruit (for the money we have).

The maximum logical outcomes (for the money we have) is a 50/50, 75/25, or 25/75 guy in those two aforementioned categories... by credentials. Personally, as much as I have heard Matt Viator is an outstanding person... he is probably a 35/35 in those two categories for UL... by his credentials.

Who we hire and where they "credential out"... we shall see.

[Cajun90]

Many who comment on Viator and McNeese's recruiting have looked to a few extremes in both directions. They have recruited some of the same players and they have been able to take some athletes we would not/cannot take (accept). However, as CajunT pointed out in a very good discussion regarding recruiting, you cannot talk about a program and their current coach's recruiting ability without looking at the program itself. Notre Dame recruits on "Notre Dame"... not the coach. And that was also the case with your other coaching mentions. The school itself drew the recruits when those guys moved up.

At UL, we have to depend on the coach's recruiting ability... above the football reputation of the university. We, UL, are not currently bragging about our recruiting. We need to elevate it significantly. One of those significant elevations is to get the 3 star and an occasional 4 star player from our area. I'm not saying Viator cannot do that... but he has not done that at McNeese... and he will not have a tradition at UL to break that streak.

I think he'd probably be a fine coach. He would get some good talent. But again... UL needs to find a way to recruit "exceptional talent", above what we are now.

I don't know who we will end up with as our next coach. But, most fans were aiming, with the increased money, to not only seek out a coach with a very good track record as a coach (for the money we have) but also a name that draws that higher to reach recruit (for the money we have).

The maximum logical outcomes (for the money we have) is a 50/50, 75/25, or 25/75 guy in those two aforementioned categories... by credentials. Personally, as much as I have heard Matt Viator is an outstanding person... he is probably a 35/35 in those two categories for UL... by his credentials.

Who we hire and where they "credential out"... we shall see.

You saved me some typing. That is exactly my point. Not picking on Viator. It is just that our next coach needs to have those built in connections in recruiting a little higher up the food chain.

Obviously we do compete againist McNeese for some recruits. We just need a coach who has the ability to tilt the table a little higher on the scale. I'm not sure many FCS coaches we would look at will bring that to the table.

There are definitely coaches that have made the move and been successful and we may do just that. I'm really looking at the big picture in a more general sense. Can it be done? Yes. Is it likely? I doubt it.

[Red Tide]

His career path I am sorry to admit to you is that he graduated from McNeese in pre med and had to go to a sorry little med school named Harvard and is now doing residency at a pitful place called Johns Hopkins. He is not the exception to the rule by the way McNeese has one of the highest medical school acceptance percentages in the state. Students at all universities work hard for their degrees no matter where they go so I never insult in a mean spritied way in what they have accomplished. I know you probably don't care and thats fine but I do. _

I did not know that, sir. Congratulations to you and your son. That gives a true meaning to the student athlete! WOW!

[Red Tide]

At UL, we have to depend on the coach's recruiting ability... above the football reputation of the university. We, UL, are not currently bragging about our recruiting. We need to elevate it significantly. One of those significant elevations is to get the 3 star and an occasional 4 star player from our area. I'm not saying Viator cannot do that... but he has not done that at McNeese... and he will not have a tradition at UL to break that streak.

I think he'd probably be a fine coach. He would get some good talent. But again... UL needs to find a way to recruit "exceptional talent", above what we are now.

I don't know who we will end up with as our next coach. But, most fans were aiming, with the increased money, to not only seek out a coach with a very good track record as a coach (for the money we have) but also a name that draws that higher to reach recruit (for the money we have).

The maximum logical outcomes (for the money we have) is a 50/50, 75/25, or 25/75 guy in those two aforementioned categories... by credentials. Personally, as much as I have heard Matt Viator is an outstanding person... he is probably a 35/35 in those two categories for UL... by his credentials.

Who we hire and where they "credential out"... we shall see. _

Good thoughts. I am one that just does not buy into the "hype" designated by "stars" on a recruit. That is just fodder for water cooler talk. Besides, A blind man can notice "4" and "5" star talent. We are not even there just to find one.

"There are lies, damn lies, and statistics!" Mark Twain

In our current culture of low level SBC football success, I think we need to create a culture of winning before we can worry about star quality. And, I believe we will not get the star quality until we win. No matter who is chosen as the head coach.

[allncr1966]

_ I did not know that, sir. Congratulations to you and your son. That gives a true meaning to the student athlete! WOW! _

Thanks I am just as proud as my daughter who graduated from UL and my other son who graduated from LSU.