Rumors Help Build Brand

By Jim Gazzolo

Heath Schroyer always wanted to make McNeese Athletics nationally relevant.

He has said that many, many times to anybody who would listen. 

When he took over as the Athletic Director at McNeese the number one goal was to make the school a place people talked about. He wanted the brand to be known as a player in the game.

Schroyer figured everything else good would follow, including money and victories, the two things that make college athletics successful.

Well, we saw that fully take place last weekend as McNeese and its head basketball coach Will Wade became the talk of the social media world.

If you cared anything about the Cowboys and their suddenly good basketball team, then you must have heard the rumors of Wade’s possible departure. 

McNeese fans worried as Wade was either leaving Lake Charles for Arkansas or already gone. 

The truth was he never even heard from the SEC school, but that didn’t stop the rumors on social media. 

Wade has told us all for some time that he was coming back for next year, folks just don’t believe him.

“I’ve told everyone a million times that I am coming back to McNeese,” Wade said last week before all the fresh rumors started. 

“Ya’ll just don’t believe me for some reason. I don’t know why. I am coming back to McNeese next season.”

Of course, Cowboy fans are not used to this much national attention for one of their coaches, yet this is just what Schroyer wants. He may not want his coaches getting poached after one season, but he sure does love to have his school’s name mentioned with the big boys.

This is exactly why Schroyer took the gamble and hired Wade. He knew he would not last forever at McNeese, he just wanted a guy to give the program a chance to grow and see what it could become.

Wade did that in his first year.

This is also what McNeese should be. The days of keeping coaches for 10 and 15 years in the power programs should be over. Getting the next hot ticket is a good thing.

Schroyer understands that and said as much this week on the T.V. show Poke Nation, seen on CBS Lake Charles.

“We want to bring good coaches in here and if they are taken by bigger schools that is not a bad thing,” Schroyer said. 

He is absolutely right. If young coaches come to McNeese, make a name for themselves, and move on that is great advertising for the university. It will also lead to the next hot coach wanting to come here and follow in those footsteps. 

It also will lead to better players as well, along with more fan interest.

Strangely last weekend’s rumors of Wade’s exit could help both him and the school. Attention and being in the spotlight are not bad when trying to recruit players and raise money for the program. 

It may have led to some anxious moments among fans, but in the end, it will likely be good for the athletic department.