Game Changers

Feldhaus is latest coach to pick McNeese

By Jim Gazzolo

Calling McNeese her “dream job,” Ashton Feldhaus hit Lake Charles this week with a bolt of energy and a lot of enthusiasm. 

McNeese’s new women’s head basketball coach is a lot like the last one in that way. 

Confidently, Feldhaus greeted Cowgirl fans with words they wanted to hear. She is excited for the challenge of the new job and wants to keep the program’s momentum going. 

She doesn’t talk like a scared 30-year-old accepting a new, much bigger challenge.

“Make no mistake about it, these are huge shoes to fill,” said Feldhaus. “I’m not afraid of that.”

The Cowgirls are coming off their best season ever, winning a record 29 games while losing just six. It was one of the greatest turnarounds in women’s college basketball history, and it led to Ayla Guzzardo being one-and-done.

Guzzardo moved to Georgia after her only season at McNeese. That led to Feldhaus getting her opportunity after just one year at Morehead State.

Despite her age, the new coach believes she is not only ready for the job but also better able to deal with the players. 

“It wasn’t that long ago I was in their shoes,” Feldhaus said. “I think that helps me relate to them.”

It is a much different game on so many levels, from social media to transfer portals and NIL deals. 

What’s noticeable is that McNeese continues to evolve as an athletic department. It wasn’t that long ago that the Cowboys used to pick the next person up and give them their shot.  

That didn’t always work out great. Now, as a much more national brand, the school can pick and choose from a larger pool of interested parties. 

A look at McNeese coaches shows that some have come from within the program, while others have come from outside the campus. That’s as it should be. Lock in on the best candidates, not just the next one in line.

Feldhaus wanted the job for the same reason Bill Armstrong did on the men’s side the year before, not because they needed it, but rather because the programs are in a good place.

Coaches who want to work their way up the ladder need to win, and they need to go to the right schools to do that. 

Feldhaus made a career choice to come to McNeese. That says a lot about how far athletics have come at the school.

And how far it can go.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers sports in Southwest Louisiana. He is also the host of Poke Nation, which airs weekly on CBS-Lake Charles.