Both LSU and Tulane are rocking along with unexpected success this 2022 season, each heading into their season finales with identical 9-2 records, followed by Southeastern Louisiana University’s Lions who have run up an impressive 8-3 record thus far.
That’s a composite record of 26-7. Not too shabby.
Too bad the same can’t be said for the eight remaining Louisiana’s collegiate football teams who have struggled to surpass those 26 wins.
University of Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Grambling State, Northwestern State, McNeese, University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Nicholls State, and Southern altogether have recorded a fairly dismal record of 32-54 with only Southern, with a 6-4 record, assured of a winning record for the 2022 regular season.
Tech in 1969, had the number-one NFL draft choice in Terry Bradshaw and in 1973 won the national championship in the NCAA’s inaugural year of Division II playoffs. Last year the Bulldogs finished at 3-9 and going into their final game this year, are 3-8. Ruston High School (10-1) has more wins than
Grambling, which at one time had more former players on NFL rosters (more than 100 former players, including four NFL Hall of Fame members) than any other school in the nation – including such football legends as Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, or Alabama – has really fallen on hard times. Last year the Tigers were 4-7 and so far this year, they are 3-7. These once proud programs have combined for an embarrassing record of 13-31 over the past two years. And with one more game to play, the hurting ain’t over yet.
Ruston High School (10-1) has more wins than collegiate neighbors Tech and Grambling have combined.
This is the same Tech team, by the way, that still thinks it can swim in the deep end of the pool. And while the Bulldogs have had their moments, beating Mississippi State a couple of times and playing unexpectedly close games against Alabama and Nebraska, they are unable to shell out the big bucks for a marquee head coach – or if they’re lucky enough to get a good one, to be able to keep him – there will be no consistent winner in Ruston with Tech continuing to schedule the NCAA powerhouses in exchange for a big payday and led by a coach looking to move up.
Another program that has had its ups and downs is ULL, a team that went 11-1 a year ago. The Ragin’ Cajuns are hoping to just become bowl eligible by improving from its current 5-6 record in its final game of 2022. Like Tech, ULL had a good coach in Billy Napier but couldn’t keep him. When these smaller programs get a good coach, success usually is both good and bad. Napier was so successful that the Florida Gators waved big dollars under his nose and off he went to Gainesville. Tech’s Maxie Lambright (95-36-2) and Grambling’s Eddie Robinson (408-165-15) were rare breeds who built tremendous success – and stayed put.
The point of all this hand-gnashing and teeth-wringing is to point out that college football coaches are almost without exception, the highest-paid employees of a given institution of higher learning. Everyone loves a winner but when high salaries meet poor performance, something generally has to give. Especially in football.
We seem to have unusually high tolerance for mediocrity at universities not named LSU. In Baton Rouge, excellence is not only expected, it is demanded. Tiger fans are used to winning and if LSU manages to defeat ‘Bama, the head coach could probably run for governor and win – that week. But with the next loss, the grumbling will inevitably begin.
In Ruston, Grambling, Monroe, Natchitoches, Lake Charles, Thibodaux, Lafayette, or Hammond, they’ll wait a bit longer before showing the coach the door, but not too long.
With the following 2022 records, one has to wonder how long it will be before the revolving door begins spinning:
ULM 4-7
GSU 3-7
*Tech 3-8
NSU 4-7
McNeese 4-7
*ULL 5-6
Nicholls 3-8
SU 6-4
*First-year coaches will be given a little more time to produce.
Louisiana Voice 
Tech actually beat Bama the last two times they played. They have a first year coach this year. It might be good to give him a couple more years.
I think I said as much. See what I said at the bottom after the *. (although as a Tech alumnus myself, I do not recall Tech ever beating ‘Bama. ULM did in Saban’s first year, but I can’t remember the Bulldogs doing so. Please provide me the years they did that.)
I also stand by my conviction that Tech (and ULM, NSU, GSU, Nicholls, McNeese, SLU, ULL, and Southern) cannot win consistently against the Clemsons, Georgias, Alabamas, Nebraskas, etc. They will never competitive in that league because of coaching turnover. The minute a coach succeeds at any of these state schools, he will be snapped up by the big boys and the Louisiana school must start from scratch again.
1999: Tech 29-28 (Alabama won the SECW that year)
1998: Tech 26-20
I’m not arguing with your other points.
I too think it’s a shame the football coach is the highest paid employee.
I stand corrected. I was unaware that that they beat Alabama. The ’99 win was impressive, given that ‘Bama was 10-3 that year. But I also see that in 1999, the Dogs lost to Florida State by 34, to Tex. A&M by 20 and to USC by 26. I find, however, that Tech did not even play ‘Bama in ’98 though they did lose by 29 to Nebraska, 34 to UCF, 21 to A&M, by 12 to Wyoming, by 15 to Auburn and by 33 to Tulane. It was in ’97 that they beat ‘Bama 26-20, the year that the Tide won only four games. But Tech lost to Auburn by 36 that same year. Overall, they were 9-2 in 1997.
So, yes, they did beat ‘Bama but for the years ’97, ’98 and ’99, Tech was 4-9 against the big boys (and I’m including U. OF Central Fla. with whom they split two games). Two of those four wins were over ‘Bama and the fourth win was against Cal. In those 13 games, Tech scored 292 points and gave up 485.
As Clifford wrote in his comment, it’s the level of talent the smaller schools can attract in competition with the likes of SEC teams. The results of the 13 games I cited only serve to support my contention that in Louisiana, if you’re not named LSU, it is impossible to win consistently against the marquee schools.
I’m a Tech alumnus. I wish it weren’t so, but unfortunately, it is.
Tom, it’s not the coaching turnover. It’s the difference in the level of talent and the availability of top-notch facilities. I foresee a time when the Power 5 conferences will break away from the confines of the NCAA. Those games between those small schools and the Power 5 teams will disappear. The Power 5 is already in the process of cutting some of those strings that keep them tied to the NCAA.
Note also that a P5 almost never plays a G5 on the road. Maybe a lesser P5 will play two at home and one away, but even that is extremely rare.
Yep, Henry. If you want the big check you have to go to the P5 site.
Correction: McNeese has a first year head coach also