Jim Gazzolo column: Time to reap the rebuild
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
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Stephen Jones takes jab at Micah Parsons as Cowboys contract standoff continues
Another day, another barb thrown Micah Parsons' way by a member of the Cowboys brass. The team and the star edge rusher are at a contract-extension standoff with training camp already open, and with few signs of any significant movement toward resolving the situation. Parsons is in the final year of his rookie deal, making $24 million, and would hit free agency if he and Dallas cannot come to some form of an agreement. Advertisement Cowboys fans have been getting on owner Jerry Jones to hammer out a deal with Parsons, greeting him with 'pay Micah' chants at camp on Saturday Stephen Jones, Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President of Player Personnel, at training camp. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images His son Stephen Jones, the team's executive vice president, put the onus on Parsons when asked about the fans' uneasiness with the situation. 'It doesn't change anything,' Stephen Jones told reporters on Sunday. 'We want to pay Micah too. He's gotta want to be paid.' Advertisement The Cowboys rewarded tight end Jake Ferguson with a four-year, $52 million extension on Sunday. The 26-year-old Parsons, a two-time, first-team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, is likely seeking a deal in the neighborhood of the extension T.J. Watt signed with the Steelers that pays him $41 million a year. Jerry Jones opened up about his frustration with the situation last week during a press conference to open training camp. He needled Parsons for missing six games last season with injury, saying that even if they sign him, it 'doesn't mean we're going to have him.' Advertisement Micah Parsons Kirby Lee-Imagn Images He later expanded on why there may be some hesitancy on the Cowboys' side to a long-term deal. 'Contracts are four, five years, OK? There's a lot of water under the bridge if you step out there and do something in the first two or three,' Jones said. 'You can get hit by a car, seriously. So there's a lot to look at over a lot of years that could make a big difference. Have you ever heard of any clubs committing to players, and then they didn't pan out after they committed to them? We have.' Advertisement Parson reiterated his desire to remain with the Cowboys while firing back at the Jones a day later, but adding that 'they sign the checks' and 'let's see if they want me to be here' in the long term. 'I think they got their own timeline on when they want to get things done,' Parsons said of 'So I don't think that helps. I'm doing this for myself and my teammates. This isn't for Jerry, this isn't for Stephen. … I can get better by just being here and being here for [my teammates].'
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Fox News
Jerry Jones faces 'Pay Micah' chants from Cowboys fans at training camp session
The Dallas Cowboys' biggest storyline from training camp thus far is Micah Parsons' contract situation, and more importantly, when owner and GM Jerry Jones will pay up. And as much as Parsons would love a new extension, it appears Cowboys fans are in the same boat. During open training camp on Saturday, Jones addressed the crowd of fans, and there were "Pay Micah!" chants heard, according to a video posted by The Athletic. As fans were chanting, Jones was trying to point out everything else the team has done to fortify the roster this year, including the addition at wide receiver with George Pickens coming in via trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. "I was shocked last year when we ended up with the record that we had," Jones said. "I never saw that coming. . . . I want you to watch what we've done in the areas that we needed to work on. Look at what we've done in this offensive line. Look at what we've done, if you will, with our receiver core. Look at what we're doing with our defense. "Lot of changes out here. Lot of coaching changes. Lot of player changes." Fans, though, are looking at the large elephant on the Cowboys' field in Parsons, the team's first-round pick from 2021 who is due for a contract after cementing himself as one of the best defensive players in the league. Parsons will be playing his 2025 season on a fifth-year option, which the Cowboys easily picked up before the year. After this year, Parsons would be a free agent unless the Cowboys franchise tag him, which can always get messy. Parsons has been vocal this offseason about his contract, saying in June that a delay in signing him out ultimately cost the team more. Then, the Cleveland Browns signed Myles Garrett to a long-term extension worth $40 million, which ultimately led the Pittsburgh Steelers to give T.J. Watt a $41-million-per-year extension as well. Parsons hinted at those deals when discussing his thoughts last week, saying he wished the Cowboys had the "same type of energy" as other organizations who locked down their star defensive players. "If they don't want me here, they don't want me here," Parsons said, via The New York Post. "I'll go about my business. I understand the nature of the business. Like I said, as long as I'm here and under contract, I'm gonna do what I have to do to perform at the highest level. But if this is the end, this is the end." "I just don't understand," Parsons added about his situation. Parsons isn't a hold-out player right now, as he's been in Dallas' camp. However, he hasn't been a full practice participant due to back tightness. The Penn State product has been as advertised since he broke into the NFL, collecting 52.5 sacks across his four years wearing the star on his helmet.
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
Cowboys give tight end Jake Ferguson $52M extension as Micah Parsons waits for payday
The Cowboys settled up with one of their young stars, as maybe their brightest still awaits a new deal. The Dallas and starting tight end Jake Ferguson agreed to a four-year, $52 million extension, the team announced Sunday. NFL Network's Ian Rappaport first broke the news. The signing marks Ferguson as the highest-paid tight end in franchise history, and also includes a guaranteed $30 million, along with a signing bonus worth $12 million. Even with the deal done, the Cowboys still have a lingering contract issue with defensive star Micah Parsons. Advertisement Ferguson, 26, was a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin, selected No. 129 overall. 3 Jake Ferguson catches a pass in the endzone during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium on January 05, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. Getty Images Over 47 career appearances, including 38 starts, he has recorded 149 receptions for 1,429 yards and seven touchdowns. Advertisement His best showing came in 2023 with a Pro Bowl season, where he put up 71 catches, 761 yards, and five touchdowns. Last year, his numbers dipped to 59 receptions for 494 yards across 14 starts, and he did not record a touchdown all season long. Despite the down year, Ferguson lands the extension, securing his role as the Cowboys' starting tight end long-term as he enters his prime years. 3 Jake Ferguson has agreed to an extension with Dallas. Getty Images Advertisement Ferguson's extension puts him as the seventh-highest paid tight end in the NFL, and also guarantees he's signed through at least 2028. Star defender Micah Parsons still awaits his extension. The stud edge rusher is not yet at training camp, hoping that a new lucrative extension blesses his bank account before the start of the season. 3 Micah Parsons looks on from the field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. Getty Images Advertisement To date, there is no commitment from Dallas, and the fans aren't letting team owner Jerry Jones forget it. Fans heckled Jones at camp over the weekend, and are pleading for the team to ink Parsons long-term. Parsons is entering the last year of his rookie contract, making roughly $24 million this season, and is slated to hit free agency following the 2025 campaign. The Cowboys finished 7-10 last season, in what was an injury-riddled disappointment, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
