Matt Viator

[Hammer58]

_ I think that Coach Robe has done a pretty good job having moved up from McNeese------I don't know that much about him(Viator) but at least he knows the state and could get a staff together in a short time that knows the state ---he could just keep the former coaches that recruit the outside areas or hire others from that area or who know it!!!! _

Boomer look at his current staff. Its pretty incestuous. With few exceptions all brokeb@ck guys. I would think we want a more experienced staff with a more diverse resume.

[BankerCajun]

_ +1 _

Who is the best coach in the Southland Conf?

[CAJUN_LXA685]

_ Coach Viator is still one of the top prep Coaches in Louisiana. However, UL will not be looking for a prep coach to be our next head coach. _

Viator was SHS coach when I was in high school and he did a great job. He has done a great job since he has joined McNeese coaching staff, but at this point can we gamble that a DII coach can step up and turn this program away? Can we afford to progress backwards if hiring someone like Viator doesn't work out?

Also, I would be berrated with taunts from my friends that are MSU fans about how we had to take their coach to win, etc, etc.

Again, I think he is a great guy and great coach

[CajunT]

_ Who is the best coach in the Southland Conf? _

J.C. Harper is considered a hot coaching prospect at SFA. They went 10-2 last season and won the SLC. They are 8-2 this season and have a chance to win the championship again. He is an offensive minded coach that played QB at Clemson and is a young guy.

Viator would be interviewed if he has any interest, but I don't know if he does at this point.

[Cajunsmike]

_ J.C. Harper is considered a hot coaching prospect at SFA. They went 10-2 last season and won the SLC. They are 8-2 this season and have a chance to win the championship again. He is an offensive minded coach that played QB at Clemson and is a young guy.

Viator would be interviewed if he has any interest, but I don't know if he does at this point. _

If both McNeese and SFA win out, SFA will win the tiebreaker against McNeese for the SLC title as they beat the Cowboys earlier this year in Lake Charles. This will be their second consecutive title. SFA plays Northwestern State this weekend at home in their last conference game. McNeese plays at Central Arkansas and will probably win. Therefore the two teams are likely to tie for the title with SFA winning the tiebreaker. SFA played well this past weekend as they scored over 50 points against Southeastern. Earlier in the year they scored over 70 against Lamar. I don't know who the best coach in the SLC is but you would have to say JC Harper at Stephen F. Austion would be one of the top guys. Long term it would not surprise me if Lamar reinstituting football impacts McNeese somewhat.

[Duggie35]

Viator has not coached the prep ranks in over a dozen years I believe. He has been at McNeese that long. First LB's coach, then WR coach, then OC, then HC. Again his resume says he is more than a good prep coach. Coach Cook was a good prep coach before becoming successful at UL. And as for as Coaches coming from McNeese to UL, I believe Robe has done pretty well.

Viator may not be my first choice, but he is not too far down my list. I like Leviett the former coach at USF, then Leach, and then Orgeron. _

Look, I don't know Coach Viator at all. I'm sure he is a great guy and he has done a good job at McNeese while coaching against primarily 1-AA competition. It is a fact that McNeese did beat the Cajuns a few years ago (utilizing 5 Cajun turnovers) and Viator was the Coach. However, Appalachan State beat Michigan last year and Jacksonville State beat Ole Miss earlier this year just to name a couple of other upsets by 1-AA teams over 1-A teams. I know that McNeese fans enjoy throwing their success against the Cajuns in our face, but the reality of the situation is that if McNeese was competing at the 1-A level full time like the Cajuns are, their success would certainly be no where near what it has been in the recent past and probably worse than the Cajuns.

Unfortunatly for Coach Viator, being the Head Coach at McNeese will probably prevent him from getting a serious look by UL and will be a stumbling block in his path in moving up to the D1-A level of football.

[CajunProud]

_ Look, I don't know Coach Viator at all. I'm sure he is a great guy and he has done a good job at McNeese while coaching against primarily 1-AA competition. It is a fact that McNeese did beat the Cajuns a few years ago (utilizing 5 Cajun turnovers) and Viator was the Coach. However, Appalachan State beat Michigan last year and Jacksonville State beat Ole Miss earlier this year just to name a couple of other upsets by 1-AA teams over 1-A teams. I know that McNeese fans enjoy throwing their success against the Cajuns in our face, but the reality of the situation is that if McNeese was competing at the 1-A level full time like the Cajuns are, their success would certainly be no where near what it has been in the recent past and probably worse than the Cajuns.

Unfortunatly for Coach Viator, being the Head Coach at McNeese will probably prevent him from getting a serious look by UL and will be a stumbling block in his path in moving up to the D1-A level of football. _

Not to try and pick a fight, but have you ever heard of Jim Tressel?

[Hammer58]

_ Look, I don't know Coach Viator at all. I'm sure he is a great guy and he has done a good job at McNeese while coaching against primarily 1-AA competition. It is a fact that McNeese did beat the Cajuns a few years ago (utilizing 5 Cajun turnovers) and Viator was the Coach. However, Appalachan State beat Michigan last year and Jacksonville State beat Ole Miss earlier this year just to name a couple of other upsets by 1-AA teams over 1-A teams. I know that McNeese fans enjoy throwing their success against the Cajuns in our face, but the reality of the situation is that if McNeese was competing at the 1-A level full time like the Cajuns are, their success would certainly be no where near what it has been in the recent past and probably worse than the Cajuns.

Unfortunatly for Coach Viator, being the Head Coach at McNeese will probably prevent him from getting a serious look by UL and will be a stumbling block in his path in moving up to the D1-A level of football. _

He has been there for some time now. Has he even shown any interest in leaving? His whole career (player, HS coach and college coach) seems to be centered around the Lake Chuck area. Same for most of his staff.

[cajun_civil]

_ So who do you think is the best coach in the Southland. Viator is about to tie for 1st in the SLC with a win next week and will be his 4th SLC championship in his 5 yrs as HC. He has put up some impressive offensive numbers while both the OC and HC also. Below is a bio through 2008. McNeese has not updated their website since then it looks like.

In three seasons, Matt Viator has become one of the most successful coaches in the NCAA’s FCS division. He has guided the Cowboys to a Southland Conference football championship and into the NCAA Division I championship in two of his three years as head coach at McNeese State.
His 2007 team posted only the fourth undefeated, untied regular season record in the university’s history, won the league title for a second year and participated in the NCAA FCS championship for a second straight year.
Viator had taken over the head job four games deep into the 2006 season, went 6-2 the rest of the way, won the SLC title and put his team into the NCAA FCS championship.
His coaching record is an outstanding 24-7 and his teams have lost only five regular season games.
In conference competition only, his teams have a 16-4 mark.
Viator has earned numerous coaching honors including two straight SLC coach of the year awards and a Louisiana collegiate coach of the year award. He has also been a finalist for the national Eddie Robinson award twice.
He claimed his first collegiate coaching victory in his very first game as head coach when the Cowboys posted a 30-27 win over Southern Utah in 2006.
Viator is the 14th head coach in McNeese history. He was 6-2 in his first season and 5-1 in league play, winning the final five league games of the year.
Prior to his becoming head coach, Viator, who is a graduate of McNeese, had served the university as offensive coordinator and is regarded as one of the top Division I offensive minds.
The Cowboys have ranked among the national leaders in offense for seven of the past nine years and the university has also produced the Southland Conference’s top offensive performer three of the last six seasons.
His offenses have led the league in scoring five times and in 2008 set school records for total offense per game, passing offense per game and scoring average per game.
Before he joined the Cowboys, Viator was one of the top prep coaches in Louisiana, producing an 81-37 won-lost record, winning one state crown and five league titles. He joined McNeese in 1999 as linebacker coach and was made offensive coordinator in 2000, the Cowboys leading the league in both scoring offense and total offense that year. _

J-Town, don't know much about Viator....but at least he (his team) scored a touchdown against a&m.

[J-Town Cajun]

_ I'm not saying you are wrong....but Coach Robe was not coaching Division II baseball. I'm not sure if the comparison would hold true.






igeaux.mobi _

CajunRed be careful throwing the term Division II out there. The McNeese will rightfully come out and let you know they are Division I because they are. As you and I both know Division I is separated by FBS and FCS. I know what you meant. But they take real offense to being called Division II, kind of like us being called ULL.

[Hammer58]

_ CajunRed be careful throwing the term Division II out there. The McNeese will rightfully come out and let you know they are Division I because they are. As you and I both know Division I is separated by FBS and FCS. I know what you meant. But they take real offense to being called Division II, kind of like us being called UL. _

And yet it has never stopped them from calling us that does it? Of course, from the very beginning they also took offense at us changing our name to UL.

[CajunNation]

To those of you discussing Viator or DeForest.........