Tuesday, March 9, 2010. 6:55am
Today at 10am, The University of Louisiana will officially announce that they will be conducting a search for a new men's basketball coach.
No one should be surprised. We knew this was coming for a while now.
Robert Lee didn't win enough basketball games. No one is going to debate that. I have said many times that there are a lot of things that coaches are judged by. But sooner or later, coaches are judged by wins and losses. I know it, you know it and they know it.
I have no problem with the decision. There are some who say it should have happened sooner. I don't subscribe to that, but I understand how they feel. No, I think the timing is right now. While South Louisiana isn't rife with basketball fans, it is rife with Cajun fans and the fan base needs to be energized. Hopefully the announcement of a new coach will do that.
And hopefully, those same fans will acknowledge Robert Lee's contribution to Cajun Basketball.
For eighteen seasons, I've been a part of the Cajuns' radio broadcasts. In the seven years previous to Robert Lee's being named head coach, we reached post season four times...won a lot of games and had decent crowds at the Dome.
But it was hard to be proud of those accomplishments, given what was going on off the court. Good citizens? Sometimes.. Good students? Rarely. Commitment to getting a degree? Laughable.
Now, there were exceptions. There were players who were, in fact, student athletes. They cared about their education. They understood that they were representing our University, not only on the court, but off it as well.
Around the Sun Belt, UL basketball had the reputation of thuggery. And, while that's a bit harsh, the players to some extent earned that moniker with their behavior. And, unfortunately, the Cajuns had a coach that didn't care about that much. Oh, he gave it lip service. But when you have a player who breaks a beer bottle over someone's head at a bar and he remains part of your program with little or no penalty, something is terribly wrong.
But it's different now.
With exception of those playing professionally, players who finished their eligibility under Robert Lee have a degree or are about to get one. You didn't see the names of players in the paper for the wrong reasons. The student-athletes (and yes, you can finally call them that with a straight face) have the highest aggregate GPA in the history of the program. Those players who were non qualifiers out of high school are not only getting their year of eliglbility back, they're also getting degrees. Lee even took a couple that played for the previous regime and made them student assistant coaches, just so they could finish and get their degree.
Robert Lee didn't win enough basketball games. But, thanks in no small part to his efforts and example, his players are winning a much more important game.
And I can say this in all honesty. I have never been prouder to be a part of the men's basketball program
When it comes to the student-athlete, Robert Lee gave Cajun fans their pride back. And make no mistake about it, he has been very well respected around this league for those efforts.
It is my hope that UL will hire a new coach who is committed to winning and, in fact, wins lots of games. It is also my hope that he cares about his players and this University as much as Robert Lee has.
I remember my first on air interview with Robert Lee after he was named head coach of the Cajuns. His father had passed away just a year before. I asked him what his dad would think. He smiled and said that Dad would be happy. He also told me that his father always said "Always try to do the right thing."
I bet his dad is prouder than ever right now.