THE OFFICIAL HOME OF McNEESE ATHLETICS

Lance Guidry wore No. 15 when he was an All-Southland Conference defensive back for McNeese State University back in the early 90s. 

On December 16, 2015, he was named the 15th head coach in school history while challenging the McNeese Faithful to “Cowboy Up.”

In 2015, Guidry helped McNeese win its 14th Southland Conference championship, a league record, while the team posted a perfect regular season.

His defense ranked 12th nationally in total defense (allowing a tad over 300 yards per game), third in both scoring defense and red zone defense, and fourth in rushing defense. In addition, the Cowboys’ defense ranked second in 4th-down conversion defense sixth in first downs defense, and seventh in 3rd-down conversion defense.

“There are seven keys to our program that we will install that will pertain to players, coaches and support staff,” said Guidry. “Number one is enthusiasm. That is the No. 1 thing to me. When you come to work, you must come with a positive attitude. Happy people are usually successful.

“Compete. We will compete on and off the field. Toughness. We will never quit and will have great pride. Number four is preparation. You have to know what to expect, and when adversity hits, you will know how to respond. Accountability. We will always be prompt and dependable. We will set goals for every task, and every task will be met.

“The last thing to me is team unity. We are a family here at McNeese. It will always be family here.”

McNeese represents Guidry’s first full-time head coaching job at the collegiate level. He acted as interim head coach at Miami University (Ohio) in 2010 and Western Kentucky University in 2012, leading both teams into postseason bowl games.

He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at McNeese in 1994 then returned as the school’s defensive coordinator from 2000-04, and in 2008, coached the defensive backs.

In his 10 combined years on the McNeese staff, the Cowboys have compiled an 86-35 record, including a 50-16 mark in Southland Conference games. During that time McNeese has won four conference championships (2001-03, 2015), made six FCS playoff appearances (1994, 2000-03, 2013, 2015) and played in the 2002 FCS National Championship game.

Before returning to McNeese prior to the 2013 season, Guidry served as defensive coordinator at Western Kentucky in 2011 and 2012 and was named interim head coach on Dec. 8 of 2012 to lead WKU against Central Michigan in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit, Mich., on Dec. 26, a game the Hilltoppers dropped 24-21.

He coached three players while at WKU - DE Quanterous Smith, LB Andrew Jackson and S Jonathan Dowling - that went on to be selected in the NFL Draft. 

Guidry joined the Miami staff after serving as the defensive secondary coach at McNeese in 2008 and led the Redhawks to a 35-21 victory over Middle Tennessee as the interim head coach in the 2011 GoDaddy.com Bowl, helping Miami finish off a 10-4 season after going 1-11 the previous year. Miami became the first FBS school to go from double-digit losses to double-digit wins in consecutive seasons.

Guidry helped orchestrate a similar turnaround in 2011, helping WKU to back-to-back winning seasons in 2011 and 2012, including the program’s first-ever bowl bid since joining the FBS.

His 2012 Hilltopper defense was a force nationally, ranking in the top 40 in seven different national defensive categories.  The Guidry-led defense ranked 23rd nationally in total defense (344.42) and 12th in the nation in tackles for loss per game (7.42). His squad also ranked at the top of four defensive categories in the Sun Belt Conference, including total defense, pass defense efficiency (128.4), sacks (31) and first down defense (19.3), while ranking second in rushing defense (136.6), scoring defense (25.6), passing defense (206.2) and interceptions (13).

A veteran coach in Louisiana football’s high school ranks, Guidry served as secondary coach at Leesville High School in 1995 and 1996, helping lead the Wampus Cats to the state championship game in 1995. He also coached defensive backs at Carencro (La.) High School for three seasons (1997-99), then returned years later to serve as the Golden Bears’ head coach (2005-07).

In between his stints at Carencro, Guidry served as defensive coordinator and coached the secondary at McNeese (2000-04). The Cowboys reached the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in four consecutive seasons (2000-03), won three straight Southland Conference championships (2001, 2002, 2003) during that stretch and lost to WKU in the 2002 FCS National Championship Game.

During those years, he helped produce such all-Americans as Joe Judge, Keith Smith and Hadley Prince.

Guidry was also a team captain, four-year letterman (1990-93) and all-conference defensive back at McNeese and was a part of two conference championship teams (1991, 1993). 

He ended his playing career with 11 pass interceptions which currently ranks him 10th on the school’s all-time career list. He scored two TDs in one game (one Int. and one fumble return) against SFA in 1992, earning national player of the week honors. 

He and his wife, Starlet, have four children: Janzen, Madison, Alexis and Kaitlyn, and two grandchildren, Ethan and Kash.