Viator Returns to McNeese
Dec 02, 2024 04:41PM ● By Kelsey Swire
By Jim Gazzolo
McNeese is bringing back an old war horse to the ranch.
Matt Viator has agreed to return to McNeese as its next head football coach, nine years after he left the program.
In a story first appearing online Monday afternoon, the school made the announcement one week after the firing of Gary Goff. The school will hold a press conference Wednesday at noon with the public welcome.
Viator and McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schoryer finalized the deal during a Monday afternoon meeting.
“I couldn’t be happier to welcome back Coach Matt Viator, a legend and Hall of Famer,” said Schroyer. “This program needs everything Coach Viator is: A winner, a man who embraces this community wholeheartedly.”
Viator was inducted into the McNeese Hall of Fame in 2021.
Schroyer had hoped all along to bring someone familiar with McNeese and the community back into the fold.
“He is the man who will bring back structure, discipline, and accountability,” Schroyer added. “Under Coach Viator, we will return McNeese to a winning football brand. “We will bring back the pride, toughness, and grit that this program once had. We did all that and more with this move.”
Viator, who was the Cowboys' head coach from 2006 to 15, spent 10 years as the Team's head coach, winning a record 78 games, which tied him for the most in McNeese history with Bobby Keasler. His teams won four Southland Conference championships and made the FCS playoffs five times.
“I am elated with this hire,” said McNeese President Dr. Wade Rousse. “Coach Viator is exactly what we need at exactly the right time to bring Cowboy football back to The Hole on Saturday nights.
“In addition, we do not believe being fiscally responsible and winning are mutually exclusive. Culture and schemes are important variables in the winning equation. “This hire supports that line of reasoning.”
Viator’s best season at McNeese was his last, as he led the Cowboys to a 10-1 record and the No. 3 seed in the FCS playoffs.
After that season, Viator moved to Louisiana-Monroe, where he spent five years as the head coach and posted a 19-39 record.
During his 15 seasons as a head coach, Viator’s teams combined for a 97-72 record. Most importantly to McNeese fans, his Cowboy teams were 54-18 within the Southland, good for a .750 winning percentage.
The 61-year-old will return to a very different McNeese program and college football scene. When he first became the Cowboys head coach, it was a well-oiled machine that was always in the national spotlight.
Now he returns to a program that has struggled and hasn’t had a winning season since 2019, the longest such stretch in school history.
“This is a big win for McNeese,” said Lance Guidry, who replaced Viator as the Cowboy head coach and is now the defensive coordinator at Miami.
Guidry led the McNeese through three winning seasons before being let go. He also coached under Victor.
“I think this is a great hire,” Guidry added. “This is what the program needs.”
Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese athletics. He is the host of Poke Nation on CBS-Lake Charles