The New UL Coach...

[BirdofParadise]

_ Is he not the OC? Last i checked he was the OC.



igeaux.mobi _

He is. But he isn't running HIS offense. He's running Les' offense.

[ULGrad@HOU]

It does concern me that our AD is retiring just after the coach is hired. No telling what kind of impact this will have on the coaching candidates.

[lcitsh]

_ The problem with an FCS coach is that they are not recruiting the same caliber of athletes that we are. We can all agree that recruiting needs to get better, but when a coach is recruiting lesser athletes than we already have, what makes you think he can all of a sudden recruit great athletes that we need? _

It's because he can recruit a better caliber of athlete. Case in point: the head coaches of LSU & UL walk into Ryan Perrilloux's house and make their best pitch. He's going to look at LSU more closely than UL because it's a higher grade program and has more to offer. It works the same way with an FBS school competing with an FCS school for what is clearly a D1A athlete. The FBS school will have more to offer than an FCS school.
Another example (and this is not to downgrade any of our high schools): an FCS coach will recruit players from Bunkie, Erath, other lower classification schools that are not John Curtis or Evangel. An FBS coach will recruit from West Monroe, St. Thomas More, other larger classification schools that are accustomed to playing better competition. An FBS coach will be able to get in the doors of athletes that an FCS coach cannot.

[J-Town Cajun]

_ The problem with an FCS coach is that they are not recruiting the same caliber of athletes that we are. We can all agree that recruiting needs to get better, but when a coach is recruiting lesser athletes than we already have, what makes you think he can all of a sudden recruit great athletes that we need. _

FCS coaches are recruiting FCS caliber athletes because they are recruiting to a FCS program. Once a FCS coach moves up to a FBS program he will begin to recruit FBS type athletes. Or at least he should.

Your theory does not hold up with Bustle who was FBS coach who came from a BCS FBS program and he often recruited against FCS programs all the time. Explain that.

[Just1More]

_ It does concern me that our AD is retiring just after the coach is hired. No telling what kind of impact this will have on the coaching candidates. _

Why? The people interviewing get to meet both the former and future AD. How does that add up to a negative? Do you think we are keeping it a mystery who the next AD is during the interview process? Not a chance.

[J-Town Cajun]

_ Perception. WKU crushed us at home and they dont have more talent. The team that wins isnt always the most talented. I am not against a FCS HC being the new coach but the idea that McNeese recruits better athletes is false.

igeaux.mobi _

True McNeese does not recruit better athletes as a whole but in 07 McNeese had as much talent on that field as UL did. But that was one of their better teams and one of our worst teams in the past 5-6 years.

I will say this that Viator who's hands are tied trying to recruit to a FCS program with a very poor budget has beaten UL, ULM twice, nearly beat Tulane, and hung with Tex A&M and LSU in his tenure. He did this with 25 less scholarships also.

[Turbine]

Personally, I'd like to try something else next time. How about a 1-AA head coach that turned a program around on a shoestring budget, or perhaps someone whose specialty is defense? _

I agree someone who won consistently against his peers even though they both had less than great talent is the mark of a good coach.

A plus would be if they could show that have recruited up at some point. I would hope they know they would be going after a higher calibre player at UL.

[CajunBoudin]

Kirby Smart's next gig will be a head coaching position in the SEC. Please lets be realistic.

[Chris V.]

"I will say this that Viator . . . . has beaten UL, ULM twice, nearly beat Tulane, and hung with Tex A&M and LSU in his tenure. He did this with 25 less scholarships also."

During the time Coach Viator has been @ McNeese, only one game was played vs. UL@M (a W in '02). He was OC that year as he was in '01 when McNeese played @ Texas A&M. He was HC for the Cajuns, Wave and Tigers games you mention.

I'll go away now.

[J-Town Cajun]

Thanks Chris V. You are right. Coach Viator was the OC in those years. But in all those games he was either HC or OC.

[raginsaints]

Mark Hudspeth is the best candidate.

[CajunT]

_ FCS coaches are recruiting FCS caliber athletes because they are recruiting to a FCS program. Once a FCS coach moves up to a FBS program he will begin to recruit FBS type athletes. Or at least he should.

Your theory does not hold up with Bustle who was FBS coach who came from a BCS FBS program and he often recruited against FCS programs all the time. Explain that. _

I don't qestion Viator or Harpers coaching abilities. Both have proven they can coach in my opinion. But neither of these coaches are recruiting against Tulsa, USM, Tulane, SMU, Troy and Memphis to a program with little football tradition. I do question whether either could out recruit a Hudspeth, Deforest or Crowton walking into an athletes house and saying I've come from XYZ BCS program, went to XYZ bowl and recruited/coached XYZ athlete. It is easier to recruit up at a lower FBS program with little tradition with a name, then it is to recruit up against lower FBS programs like UL or ULM.