A Year to Build On

By Jim Gazzolo

It has been a wild year at McNeese State.

As the calendar turns to 2025, the university’s sports program will experience many changes. 

What was once old is new, and what was once broken has been fixed. However, for the Cowboys, change remains constant.

One thing you can’t say about 2024 is that it was dull. Not by a long shot.

Finding the top sports story at McNeese isn’t easy either. You can start with the basketball team, which began with a long winning streak, an undefeated record at home, and a Southland Conference championship.

The Cowboys caught the nation's attention with their defense and chemistry. Thanks in large part to an undefeated record at home (18-0), McNeese captured its first postseason league title in 22 years inside the Legacy Center, setting off a wild celebration.

The Pokes also earned their first NCAA Tournament bid in that long. It all ended in Salt Lake City in the first round against powerhouse Gonzaga, but the ride was real.

And head coach Will Wade even stayed for at least a second year with higher expectations. 

There was also a third straight Southland regular season championship in softball, as the Cowgirls swept Southeastern in the final weekend to claim the title. Unfortunately, that is when McNeese peaked. The following week, the Cowgirls fell short in the SLC tourney, leaving them home for the NCAA regional.

There were also other great individual moments during the year for McNeese, but nothing compares to what happened at McNeese over the final two months of the year.

The shakeup in football is the real story of 2024.

First, after posting the best record since 2019 at 6-6, Athletic Director Heath Schroyer fired Gary Goff as head football coach and replaced him with Matt Viator two weeks later.

The all-time winningest coach in program history, Viator returns after nine years away from McNeese. The move pumped fresh life into the Cowboys from a fanbase desperately looking for a reason to relive the past glories. 

Viator gives the Cowboys instant credibility and was a home run for Schroyer after gambling to make a change despite a six-win gain from the disaster of 2013. 

Viator has already put together a new and old staff, proclaiming he didn’t come here just to bring back the past but to move the Cowboys forward. He also said he will not be a guy who just goes back to what worked before but combines that with what he has learned since.

So, there will be several things to look forward to in the upcoming year.

What has happened makes Schroyer believe what is coming next is even more interesting for McNeese.

“It is very difficult to talk about just how exciting the future is and how much I am looking forward to it,” said Schroyer. “I believe that the greatness of McNeese Athletics is just getting started. I think we have the right people on the bus and sitting in the right seats.

“We have the best fanbase and have made the right moves for this department to take the next big step forward. With what we have been able to do in 2024, I think the next year has a chance to be one of the best in our department’s history.”

One thing is for sure: when it comes to McNeese sports, it likely won’t be boring.

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