Jim Gazzolo column: Time to reap the rebuild
McNeese State Cowboys and Lamar Cardinals face off in the championship game during the 2025 Southland Conference Basketball Tournament, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Lake Charles, Louisiana. McNeese defeats Lamar 63 - 54. (Kirk Meche via American Press)
It has been five years since the devastation.
Five long years of rehabilitation.
Now, McNeese hopes it's ready for domination.
'I think we are in the best position we have ever been in,' proclaims Athletic Director Heath Schroyer.
Of course, he has always been the program's biggest cheerleader, so that should be taken into consideration.
However, as summer workouts get into full swing in the major sports, he might not be wrong.
Schroyer has led the athletic program through lean times, but with the help of the school's administration, the Cowboys are poised for a successful year.
If only games were played on paper, then the coming athletic year at the corner of McNeese and Common streets would be the biggest of all time.
Still, no program in the Southland Conference is better prepared for what will come after the $2.8 billion NCAA settlement announced last week. Schroyer's staff has been ready to pivot in any direction college athletics turn.
A year ago, McNeese hired Keifer Ackley to lead its name, image and likeness efforts. Hailing themselves as the top NIL department in the Southland, Ackley was brought on board to take the Cowboys to another level.
You can talk about new facilities, coaching, and tradition all you want, but today's college athletics comes down to money. It's a simple business formula: the teams that spend the wisest have the best chances to win.
There is no guarantee to this formula, it just flips the odds in the spender's favor.
McNeese isn't winning bidding wars with the bigger schools, but it can certainly put up a fight in its own backyard, and that's all its fans can hope for these days. And the investments they have made over the past five long years could be set to pay off this coming season.
There will likely be more investments forthcoming, including stadium naming rights. In a cash-and-carry game, every penny counts.
McNeese also hopes to maintain its position as the attendance leader in the league. According to the SLC Sports Report, the Cowboys led the Southland in total attendance, with 185,483 fans throughout all sports last year.
That was some 54,000 more than second-place newcomer Texas-Rio Grande Valley, which didn't have football last year. UTRGV starts football this season and could overtake McNeese.
But what separates McNeese from the rest of the league is coaching. With three new head coaches in the five major sports, one could expect a slide. Not likely for McNeese.
The athletic department will start the new year with three of its five major sports, led by head coaches who own the school record for wins in their respective sports, as Matt Viator returns to the football sideline.
Viator joins James Landreneau (softball) and Justin Hill (baseball) as the winningest coaches in their respective sports at McNeese.
'That is unheard of,' Schroyer said. 'We are very fortunate to have those coaches leading our programs.'
Combined, the three have been named SLC Coach of the Year nine times, with Landreneau leading the way with four such honors.
As for the two brand-new coaches, Ayla Guzzardo takes over the women's basketball program after transforming Southeastern Louisiana into a league power. She has won two of the last three SLC top coaching honors for her sport, giving McNeese a total of 11 in the Big Five.
Bill Armstrong takes over the top program, the men's basketball team, after Will Wade won the last two titles for the Cowboys and coaching awards. Armstrong seems to have brought in the best talent possible in McNeese hoops history.
You can see why it appears McNeese is on the upswing, but there are no guarantees. With increased investment comes greater pressure to win, win now, and win big.
Fans expect it, and boosters generally demand it. They are businesspeople who expect to see results from their investments.
But this is what McNeese officials have been asking for: to be treated like they are sitting at the adult table.
Being the best in the Southland is nice, but it has never been the end goal. There is more to come for McNeese as the game continues to evolve.
However, it has to start with a big year.
The coming year is a pivotal one for the program's direction. You can only claim you are rebuilding for so long.
Eventually you have to complete the process.
•
Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese State athletics for the American Press. Email him at jimgazzolo@yahoo.com
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