Back to the Future

By Jim Gazzolo

For you McNeese fans who think Matt Viator is here to restore the good old days, think again.

Last week, the Cowboys took a page out of their past by bringing Viator back as the head football coach to help put the finishing touches on their rebuild.

Viator guided McNeese for 10 seasons from 2006-2015, leading the program to five playoff appearances and four Southland Conference championships. He had previously been a Cowboy assistant for seven seasons.

Viator, the all-time winningest coach in program history, tied with Bobby Keasler for that honor, is coming back home after a nine-year absence.

The move has thrilled Cowboy fans of all ages, especially those around for Viator’s first tenure at the helm.

But don’t expect the same coach to return. Viator has changed along with the game and the school itself.

“McNeese is totally different,” Viator said. “It’s the same location but a different place.”

College football has also changed. Building teams from the ground up with solid recruiting classes has morphed into a year-by-year battle over money and the transfer portal. 

And it’s not changing back anytime soon.

“It doesn’t matter what we did here before; I want to move forward,” said Viator. “You just can’t come back. 

“I would have to be an absolute idiot if I thought I could come back here and do the same things. We have to make a new way, start a new standard, and set a new bar.”

Some may not understand, but that is a wise move. You really can never go back, but you can always move forward.

That’s just what the Cowboys need. Change was needed after five seasons of .500 or worse football, the longest such stretch in program history. Going back to one of the men who set the standard is fine, just don’t go back to the way things were.

“This is a home run for McNeese,” said Slade Nagle, a former Cowboy quarterback and player under Viator. “I could not be more happy for the school and for Coach V. This is a huge win for McNeese.”

Already, Viator has hit the ground running, retaining seven members of the old coaching staff. That stabilizes the program in his first year, especially as the Cowboys battle through recruiting and the transfer system.

“I think we have a dynamic staff,” Viator said. “I’m also going to go out and get the best people I can.”

He also wants to retain as many players as possible, but he wants guys who are committed to the program and want to be here. 

“Retaining players is important,” Viator said. “I have spoken to the guys who are already on the portal, and we will continue to work with them. All those players are McNeese players.”

What has always been most important to Viator is the program itself. He has always been about McNeese. This is his school.

“It is a good time, the right time for me,” Viator said. “This program has always been personal to me.”

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese athletics. He is the host of Poke Nation on CBS-Lake Charles.