LOUISIANA La. - Former Southwestern Louisiana football player Nelson Schexnayder has been named athletic director at USL.

He had been acting athletic director since 1993.

The Board of Trustees for State Colleges and Universities made him director, and USL President Ray Authement announced the appointment Friday through a press release.

Schexnayder has led the program during a highly successful period for Ragin' Cajun teams.

The women's softball squad was the most successful, going to the Women's College World Series in 1993, and earning a No. 2 ranking in the nation this year.

The Ragin' Cajun basketball team won the Sun Belt Conference tournament and went to the NCAA tournament in March. The football team won the co-championship of the Big West Conference in 1993, and barely missed giving USL its first bowl trip since Schexnayder and the Cajuns played in the 1970 Grantland Rice Bowl.

The baseball team was co-champion of the Sunbelt's West Division; the men's outdoor track team won the conference, the women finished second; golfers finished third in the conference; the women's tennis team finished second in the 1993 and 1994 Sunbelt tournaments.

Schexnayder gave the credit to the coaches and the athletes.

He said his job is to be aware of potential changes in college athletics, particularly with NCAA restructuring, and conference realignment.

"These will present opportunities and challenges for us to maintain the level of improvement that USL athletics have enjoyed," he said.

Another focus will be finances. He said ticket sales are the best way for the community to support USL sports teams.

Authement said that Schexnayder's background as a lawyer was a key to having him named athletic director, because "there are so many legal issues facing intercollegiate athletics in this country."

"Because of his knowledge and love of the university, and his deep understanding of athletic policies, we expect Nelson to move this athletic department into a higher level of competition," Authement said.


The Advocate
June 4, 1994