Lamar Head Football Coach

[Guest mffl]

Thanx for the info TT, we will just have to see if he is a good hire.

[Guest coachacola]

Coach Ray Woodard is a finalist for the Lamar University head coaching job and a could be named as early as Thursday night by the Lamar Board of Trustees, according to Navarro President Dr. Richard Sanchez.

Who are the Lamar Board of Trustees?

[TexasTerror]

Who are the Lamar Board of Trustees?

That's the media being the media...

Texas State University System Board of Regents.

Same group meeting May 15-16, 2008 at Texas State University-San Marcos according to the TSUS web site.

[LUPatriot]

Why do some people think Lamar would get "a major name coach" ?

My reasons why I can't understand some peoples thought process:

1. We are talking about a small school. Sure Lamar has the highest enrollment in a while, however a lot of the enrollment is online. We are so small people get lost looking for us in Beaumont. I've actually been to a high school where the population was larger than at Lamar.

2. Small budget. I know some people think that it shouldn't be about the money, however a person has to provide for his family and pay bills. My dad was a coach and I remember hearing people gripe about money. What they failed to realize was how much work goes into this "entertainment". These were normally the same people that would bash him (secretly) and then give him a hug when he did something great.

3. Resurrecting a dead sport.  Why would a proven coach come to SE Texas and work his tail off just to hopefully have a successful season 2-3 years down the line (and that's hoping he can get great recruits). And at the end of the day, he will be ran off because "he's too old or his system no longer works."Lamar's "claim to fame" is when they defeated BAYLOR in the early 1980's. Think of the advances that has happened in the world since then. Communism fail, The Red Sox fianlllllly won the World Series, heck even Michael Jackson was still cool.

4. Division 2 Football. Again, enough said.

There's probably a reason why none of the "good coaches" aren't wanting this job.

I am a Lamar Alum and I pay my dues. I am very proud of Lamar, but I am just more realistic. If the new coach is good enough for Tubbs, then he is good enough for me. Give the guy a chance. If the community really wants this to be successful, it doesn't matter who Lamar Hires. What has to happen is there has to be good recruiting classes (not just in setx either). A coach can only be as good as his players. He can encourage kids by camps, meeting the community, etc... However I feel it will be the same story as always in Beaumont. The good kids go to UT, A&M or LSU.  The rest go somewhere else. Lamar will get what is left over. Until Beaumont gets more "college centered" it will alwaysss be the same story.

[Guest coachacola]

Why do some people think Lamar would get "a major name coach" ?

My reasons why I can't understand some peoples thought process:

1. We are talking about a small school. Sure Lamar has the highest enrollment in a while, however a lot of the enrollment is online. We are so small people get lost looking for us in Beaumont. I've actually been to a high school where the population was larger than at Lamar.

2. Small budget. I know some people think that it shouldn't be about the money, however a person has to provide for his family and pay bills. My dad was a coach and I remember hearing people gripe about money. What they failed to realize was how much work goes into this "entertainment". These were normally the same people that would bash him (secretly) and then give him a hug when he did something great.

3. Resurrecting a dead sport.  Why would a proven coach come to SE Texas and work his tail off just to hopefully have a successful season 2-3 years down the line (and that's hoping he can get great recruits). And at the end of the day, he will be ran off because "he's too old or his system no longer works."Lamar's "claim to fame" is when they defeated BAYLOR in the early 1980's. Think of the advances that has happened in the world since then. Communism fail, The Red Sox fianlllllly won the World Series, heck even Michael Jackson was still cool.

4. Division 2 Football. Again, enough said.

There's probably a reason why none of the "good coaches" aren't wanting this job.

I am a Lamar Alum and I pay my dues. I am very proud of Lamar, but I am just more realistic. If the new coach is good enough for Tubbs, then he is good enough for me. Give the guy a chance. If the community really wants this to be successful, it doesn't matter who Lamar Hires. What has to happen is there has to be good recruiting classes (not just in setx either). A coach can only be as good as his players. He can encourage kids by camps, meeting the community, etc... However I feel it will be the same story as always in Beaumont. The good kids go to UT, A&M or LSU.  The rest go somewhere else. Lamar will get what is left over. Until Beaumont gets more "college centered" it will alwaysss be the same story.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, but you're a little off base on a few things.  First, Lamar will be playing Division I football, like they did in the 70s and 80s, not Division II.  Secondly, what high school did you go to that had over 9 or 10K students?  I find that hard to believe.  Also, SE Louisiana hired an ex-SEC head coach to restart their program a few years ago so getting a "name coach" (though not necessarily a "major" coach) isn't unheard of.

A lot has changed in SETX since the 1980s.  The area is booming and it's a little less "blue-collar" than back then, and big things are happening on the campus.  Of course the best players will go to UT, A&M or LSU, but the right coach should get a lot of good players to make Lamar competitive in the SLC and at the FCS level.  Like the basketball team, if they win then the fans will show up.

[WOS95]

Why do some people think Lamar would get "a major name coach" ?

My reasons why I can't understand some peoples thought process:

1. We are talking about a small school. Sure Lamar has the highest enrollment in a while, however a lot of the enrollment is online. We are so small people get lost looking for us in Beaumont. I've actually been to a high school where the population was larger than at Lamar.

2. Small budget. I know some people think that it shouldn't be about the money, however a person has to provide for his family and pay bills. My dad was a coach and I remember hearing people gripe about money. What they failed to realize was how much work goes into this "entertainment". These were normally the same people that would bash him (secretly) and then give him a hug when he did something great.

3. Resurrecting a dead sport.  Why would a proven coach come to SE Texas and work his tail off just to hopefully have a successful season 2-3 years down the line (and that's hoping he can get great recruits). And at the end of the day, he will be ran off because "he's too old or his system no longer works."Lamar's "claim to fame" is when they defeated BAYLOR in the early 1980's. Think of the advances that has happened in the world since then. Communism fail, The Red Sox fianlllllly won the World Series, heck even Michael Jackson was still cool.

4. Division 2 Football. Again, enough said.

There's probably a reason why none of the "good coaches" aren't wanting this job.

I am a Lamar Alum and I pay my dues. I am very proud of Lamar, but I am just more realistic. If the new coach is good enough for Tubbs, then he is good enough for me. Give the guy a chance. If the community really wants this to be successful, it doesn't matter who Lamar Hires. What has to happen is there has to be good recruiting classes (not just in setx either). A coach can only be as good as his players. He can encourage kids by camps, meeting the community, etc... However I feel it will be the same story as always in Beaumont. The good kids go to UT, A&M or LSU.  The rest go somewhere else. Lamar will get what is left over. Until Beaumont gets more "college centered" it will alwaysss be the same story.

i agree with your post. 

[HouTexan]

A lot has changed in SETX since the 1980s.  The area is booming and it's a little less "blue-collar" than back then, and big things are happening on the campus.  Of course the best players will go to UT, A&M or LSU, but the right coach should get a lot of good players to make Lamar competitive in the SLC and at the FCS level.  Like the basketball team, if they win then the fans will show up.

You're exactly right on this coachacola. LU is a different university in 2008 that it was in 1988. Beaumont / Golden Triangle is massively different. A positive approach towards the university by students and the community will make a huge difference in the football program.

[lu cards]

ditto.

[TexasTerror]

4. Division 2 Football. Again, enough said.

Division II football? Are you kidding me? I know this is the mindset that many in the Lamar community have. Heck, you guys were taking shots about the SLC and football, calling it Div II football as well, before you got one of these 'Div II' teams yourself...

If your team fails from the get-go, a large part of that will be the mindset that your school does not play Div I football. Seems your school has a large marketing campaign ahead of them to educate Joe Patriot in the SE Texas community. No wonder Billy boy said that the program would need to be FBS.

FYI, LUPatriot -- Lamar will get to compete for something that Texas, Texas Tech and LSU can not -- a Division I national championship. That's after all, why it's called the NCAA Division I FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION!

[TradinUp BH]

This isn't the topic, but talking about the campus. LU has made great strides to get the campus nice and better than the previous 20 years. The only problem I can see is there is no campus greek life (Fraternity,sorority houses), the campus also needs some college eating places surrounding the campus so the students can feel the college experience.  Possibly have some variety of activities for the students besides just the new rec center.  I think thier going in the right direction, but with football coming they need to step it up a notch.

[BUNA95]

This isn't the topic, but talking about the campus. LU has made great strides to get the campus nice and better than the preious 20 years. The only problem I can see is there is no campus greek life (Fraternity,sorority houses), the campus also needs some college eating places surrounding the campus so the students can feel the college experience.  Possibly have some variety of activities for the students besides just the new rec center.  I think thier going in the right direction, but with football coming they need to step it up a notch.

I agree

[Guest mffl]

4. Division 2 Football. Again, enough said.

If your team fails from the get-go, a large part of that will be the mindset that your school does not play Div I football. Seems your school has a large marketing campaign ahead of them to educate Joe Patriot in the SE Texas community. No wonder Billy boy said that the program would need to be FBS.

FYI, LUPatriot -- Lamar will get to compete for something that Texas, Texas Tech and LSU can not -- a Division I national championship. That's after all, why it's called the NCAA Division I FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION!

First of all, you don't know if Lamar Football will fail and what our mindset will be if it does. Second of all, (and not that i'm putting FCS down), but the S in FCS stands for SUBDIVISION. That means a part of football, not footballs highest level of play. Would you rather your alma mater, Sam Houston State University, have a BCS National Championship, and all of the money and media your school would get with it, or an FCS national championship?

[TexasTerror]

First of all, you don't know if Lamar Football will fail and what our mindset will be if it does. Second of all, (and not that i'm putting FCS down), but the S in FCS stands for SUBDIVISION. That means a part of football, not footballs highest level of play. Would you rather your alma mater, Sam Houston State University, have a BCS National Championship, and all of the money and media your school would get with it, or an FCS national championship?

A) The 'S' in FBS also stands for 'subdivision'. By your argument, it's a "part of football". In fact, it's the non-championship part of NCAA Division I football

Considering the BCS is not a national championship, the only national championship I'd like to see SHSU win is the Division I national championship (note, that's the name -- not FCS national championship). The BCS national championship would be nice, but honestly, does a Sam Houston State or for that matter, a Lamar, have any chance? Of course, not. Both our schools can not succeed in the current climate that is big money football.

And yes, your team will fail if the community believes your team competes in Division II. That would be a slap in the face of the 63 Division I players at Lamar and more importantly, I find it hard to believe that Southeast Texas would support a Div II program at Lamar. Didn't the community turn their backs on the program when they moved down from I-A to what was then known as I-AA? If anything, I'm standing up for your program and going against LUPatriot's ignorance on the subject. Division I football is what your institution would have and that's some high quality football, not Div II level football.

Lamar needs to educate the community that it is a Division I program and work hard to get money games starting in year two against FBS programs that the fan base is familiar with, to help get the point across. Getting in the playoffs would help things out as it made a huge difference on the football program in San Marcos.

[Guest mffl]

It is true it would fail but the whole community of Lamar students and Alumni and the community of SETX does not believe that just because a few people state it, and still those people will support football. Our community is alot bigger than Huntsville, there are more fans that don't read this board if you didn't know that. 

[LUPatriot]

Terror, you amaze me more and more each time you post. I'm sorry if you accept Division I B Team Football (SUBDIVISION) and you "can compete for a national championship". Maybe some people accept 2nd best and by all accounts go win your championship. Other people want the very best athletes and the very best sports.

[TexasTerror]

Terror, you amaze me more and more each time you post. I'm sorry if you accept Division I B Team Football (SUBDIVISION) and you "can compete for a national championship". Maybe some people accept 2nd best and by all accounts go win your championship. Other people want the very best athletes and the very best sports.

NCAA FBS football is the only sport that I know where the championship is not played out on the field of play. Tennis. Soccer. All others levels of football. Bowling. Table Tennis. You name it. The championship is played out on the field of the play. I do not believe in the system.

In the current state of collegiate athletics, our institutions can not compete for the mythical national championship that is the BCS title. As I've stated time and time again, the NCAA does not recognize the BCS champion, they do recognize the NCAA Division I champion (from FCS). Your institution is currently set to play FCS football and that provides a far greater opportunity for a national title.

Until the landscape of FBS football changes, our institutions have no business vying for a seat at the table. Under the current environment, both of our teams are destined for a spot in the "Beaumont Bumkpins/Weedeater Bowl". A playoff format, open to all conferences that meet standards, would allow for the seat at the table. Until such point, there's no reason for me to wish SHSU was a part of the FBS.

SHSU and other schools can compete and win against the FBS schools (I believe the SLC has a .500 or above record against the Sun Belt with wins against institutions including Texas Christian and Boise State in the last decade). And at the same time, we can compete for a national title and have a fair shot at doing that. If you guys wish to be FBS, best of luck. Hope you enjoy that Bumpkins Bowl, as you have an even further chance at the mythical crystal ball than even your friends down I-10 on Scott St.