Mike Sewak

[CrazyCajun]

What worries me is that if sewak comes in and he does not win right away it will be because he needs time to get his players to run his system, thats at least 2 years worth of excuses, then if it doesnt work after 4 or 5 years and we have to look elsewhere that coach will have the built-in excuse of having to get his players to run his offense. If it works and we win, great! if it doesnt work then we could be in for 2-4 years of waiting for changes on each end of his tenure. I just dont think its too big a risk. Also, not to mention it will divide the fanbase, alot of people just dont want to watch the option offense. If we win with it, some people will change their minds but you will always have the anti-option people. I would like to see us hire someone that the majority of the fanbase can rally around, in my opinion that person right now is hudspeth. Hudspeth has recruited the mississippi, louisiana, and alabama area for a long time. My top choice is hudspeth, 2nd choice is deforest. I really want a younger coach because the challenge that UL faces takes a coach that has alot of energy and he must be able to wear multiple hats since we dont have a huge budget.

[CajunNation]

People want to compare these hires to Marlin. However, Marlin won 70% of his games, was a head coach in the same division, was coming off a NCAA tournament appearance, and won a junior college national championship.

Mike Sewak is the only candidate that comes close to this. As a head coach on the DI level, he has won 70% of his games, won conference championships, and made the post-season....just like Marlin. He also was part of (2) DI National championship squads as a Coordinator.

Hudspeth's only experience as a coordinator at the DI level ended with an 0-10 record.

[Clutch0364]

_ Jay -

I know you can't give your opinion, because you have to work with the next guy. However, the impression I get from casual fans, who know the list is this...

We are doubling our salary, and the list of candidates IMO (outside of Hudspeth) is not impressive. Even Hudspeth is not out of this world impressive. People want to compare these hires to Marlin. However, Marlin won 70% of his games, was a head coach in the same division, was coming off a NCAA tournament appearance, and won a junior college national championship.

Our 3 finalists seem to be:
1) Mark Hudspeth - Successful D-II head coach with national semi-final appearances. Will be a coordinator at either Miss State or Miami next year.

2) Mike Sewak - Co-Offensive Line Coach at Georgia Tech. Head Coaching Stint ended in firing. (Whether deserved or not, fired.)

3) Joe DeForest - 10 years assistant at Oklahoma State, Alumni, sole benefit seems to be recruiting ability in one city, where he will have to convince kids to come to a Sunbelt school, not a Big 12 schools which dominates the Houston market.

We will play 450K a year. I don't think any of these names will excite the casual fan. Maybe we shouldn't be trying to excite the casual fan, and I know that winning will do that. However, I'm not sure there is any reason to feel confident as a casual fan or die hard that these guys give you the best chance at winning.

My biggest disappointment is that this program has been so bad for so long that these are our best chances for almost half a million dollars per year.

The city of Lafayette and the University deserves a winner. Hopefully, one of these guys can deliver it. I think personally our best shot is Hudspeth because I feel his career arc ins on the way up, as opposed to Sewak's which is on the way down. _

I wonder how excited Temple was when they hired Al Golden? He was only the DC at Virginia.

I wonder how excited Central Michigan was when they hired Brian Kelly? At the time he was only winning games at the D-2 level, with no experience at a D-1 school.

These are only 2 examples of hires that did not have that sizzle factor. Would it be nice to have that big time hire. YES but the fact is that we are not in position to make that type of move yet.

UL doesn't need the big hire, UL needs the right hire.

[BirdofParadise]

_ Jay -

I know you can't give your opinion, because you have to work with the next guy. However, the impression I get from casual fans, who know the list is this...

We are doubling our salary, and the list of candidates IMO (outside of Hudspeth) is not impressive. Even Hudspeth is not out of this world impressive. People want to compare these hires to Marlin. However, Marlin won 70% of his games, was a head coach in the same division, was coming off a NCAA tournament appearance, and won a junior college national championship.

Our 3 finalists seem to be:
1) Mark Hudspeth - Successful D-II head coach with national semi-final appearances. Will be a coordinator at either Miss State or Miami next year.

2) Mike Sewak - Co-Offensive Line Coach at Georgia Tech. Head Coaching Stint ended in firing. (Whether deserved or not, fired.)

3) Joe DeForest - 10 years assistant at Oklahoma State, Alumni, sole benefit seems to be recruiting ability in one city, where he will have to convince kids to come to a Sunbelt school, not a Big 12 schools which dominates the Houston market.

We will play 450K a year. I don't think any of these names will excite the casual fan. Maybe we shouldn't be trying to excite the casual fan, and I know that winning will do that. However, I'm not sure there is any reason to feel confident as a casual fan or die hard that these guys give you the best chance at winning.

My biggest disappointment is that this program has been so bad for so long that these are our best chances for almost half a million dollars per year.

The city of Lafayette and the University deserves a winner. Hopefully, one of these guys can deliver it. I think personally our best shot is Hudspeth because I feel his career arc ins on the way up, as opposed to Sewak's which is on the way down. _

First of all, I believe that approx. 400K is the highest we'll pay. That doesn't mean the next coach will make that.

The casual fan didn't know Bob Marlin. That one is going to work out fine.

I don't consider Sewak's career to be "on the way down."

North Texas just hired Dan McCarney, who got fired as a head coach and had a losing record as a head coach. He was a position coach at Florida.

He's 57 years old.

They're pretty excited in Denton right now.

[SlappyCajun]

_ First of all, I believe that approx. 400K is the highest we'll pay. That doesn't mean the next coach will make that.

The casual fan didn't know Bob Marlin. That one is going to work out fine.

I don't consider Sewak's career to be "on the way down."

North Texas just hired Dan McCarney, who got fired as a head coach and had a losing record as a head coach. He was a position coach at Florida.

He's 57 years old.

They're pretty excited in Denton right now. _

Touche' but getting fired from a Big 12 job is a little different than a FCS job.

Again. I'm just not impressed with the list. Like everyone, I hope that it works out. But the weight of history is against this program. Sewak could be that guy.

Hopefully, I'm wrong and he wins a lot. Because, the more I think about it the more I think he is going to be the hire.

[HebertTommy]

They're pretty excited in Denton right now. _

I think North Texas would be excited to get Baldwin at this point.

[CajunNation]

I think people confuse college basketball with college football. In college basketball, for mid-majors, it is often the case that some, young, hot shot head coach makes his mark and is swooped up by the major programs.

College football, for non-AQ schools, often goes the other way. It is usually the knowledgeable old hand that brings success to a program.

It takes too long for up and coming coaches to work the system in college football. The best, youngest guys, are coordinators at major programs. They eventually get the head job at another major program before they end up at a non-AQ school as a head coach.

For a school such as UL to get a young guy looking to make a name for himself, we would almost have to look for young coordinators at FCS schools and promote them here before they land position coach jobs at major programs.

Perfect example of this is Shannon Dawson, the offensive coordinator at SFA. Stephen F. Austin leads the country, in FCS, in almost every offensive category. That is strictly due to Coach Dawson, who is a Hal Mumme disciple. He is 31 years old.

If we were looking for the young, hungry, guy looking to make a splash, Dawson should have been interviewed.

Now, THAT would be an outside the box hire.

[rhineaux]

_ I triple option with McGuire/Gautier at QB, Yobes Walker at FB, and Streeter/R Walker at RB should be able to be effective from day 1. Didn't Babb run some of that and didn't he still throw for a bunch of yards?
_

I told someone last week that the only coach to stop our Option Offense with Babb, et al, was Rickey Bustle.

[DrumRoll]

I like outside the box, but I would rahter have a Head Coach in the box with coordinators that are outside it :-)

[CajunNation]

What worries me is that if sewak comes in and he does not win right away it will be because he needs time to get his players to run his system, thats at least 2 years worth of excuses, then if it doesnt work after 4 or 5 years and we have to look elsewhere that coach will have the built-in excuse of having to get his players to run his offense.

Look at Georgia Southern. This year, Jeff Monken is in his first season as head coach. Prior to his arrival, GSU had a pass-happy offense for 3 years.

Monken inherited a team, suppossedly, with the wrong talent to run the option, and , yet:

--- Georgia southern is in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. (first time in playoffs since 2005)


--- GSU has 9 wins. (most wins since 2004)


--- GSU's record for the last 4 years, 21-23. GSU's record currently is 9-4.


The talent debate is overblown. With the right staff, good players can run anything.

[Cajunsmike]

_ I'm sure there are more. But they will be dwarfed by the number of fans that get on board if we're winning consistently.

Many (not you Mike) have a shortsighted approach on this. And, given our instant gratification society, that is to be expected.

Your friend doesn't like the option. I get that. I sense that many others who are complaining here and coming up with all sorts of reasons why it's a bad thing, would, if you get right down to it, admit that they're apprehension is bottom line based on that they just don't like that kind of football.

I didn't know that Cajun fans were all that into style points when it comes to winning.

My statements should not lead to an assumption that I am endorsing Sewak. I endorse no one. I will support our coach, whoever he might be. And, I will support whatever offense he runs.

It isn't about my preferences. Nor is it about the preferences of those that post here.

If any of you don't want this coach because you don't like the offense, fine. If that leads you to not go to games, fine.

But this can be an offense that wins here. And winning is fun. _

Jay, I understand where you are coming from with your post. I just want to reiterate that the guy I am talking about is loyal to LSU not the Cajuns. He comes to our games for entertainment purposes and the losses do not hurt him as much as it does most who particapte on this forum. Therefore he has a diffferent approach than many who post here. He is entertained by more balanced offenses and he will find something else to be entertained by if Sewak comes. Dropping his tickets won't be that big a deal to him as he will just follow LSU more closely. He probably is an isolated case. I agree that we can win here with an option offense in time. I am just not sure we can win in the short term. You are correct with your view of people not wanting to wait for that to occur. I give the Cajun football fans a pass on that perspective due to the fact we have had one winning season in the last 15. It is natural for that kind of history to breed impatience.

[SlappyCajun]

_ Jay, I understand where you are coming from with your post. I just want to reiterate that the guy I am talking about is loyal to LSU not the Cajuns. He comes to our games for entertainment purposes and the losses do not hurt him as much as it does most who particapte on this forum. Therefore he has a diffferent approach than many who post here. He is entertained by more balanced offenses and he will find something else to be entertained by if Sewak comes. Dropping his tickets won't be that big a deal to him as he will just follow LSU more closely. He probably is an isolated case. I agree that we can win here with an option offense in time. I am just not sure we can win in the short term. You are correct with your view of people not wanting to wait for that to occur. I give the Cajun football fans a pass on that perspective due to the fact we have had one winning season in the last 15. It is natural for that kind of history to breed impatience. _

To call Ragin' Cajun Football Fans. The few loyal ones that have remained through it all are justified in demanding results.

In the past 50 years we have had 4 seasons with 8 wins or more. I don't know how fair it is to ask this fan base to keep waiting.