THE OFFICIAL HOME OF McNEESE ATHLETICS

He’s a mastermind of the defense.

One year after relinquishing his defensive coordinator duties while taking over as the McNeese head coach, Lance Guidry reassumed those duties in year two of his head coaching stint and brought the Cowboys’ Defense With Attitude to the FCS mountaintop.

The 2017 season for McNeese was a bittersweet one. The Cowboys finished 9-2 on the year but were left on the outside when it came to the FCS postseason playoffs. That despite being ranked in the nation’s top 25 polls for most of the season.

Guidry spearheaded a defense that ended the season ranked No. 1 in the FCS in rushing with a school and Southland Conference record 54.5 yards per game allowed. That average is also ranked as the seventh-lowest amount allowed in the history of the FCS.

In addition to the rushing defense ranking, the Cowboys ranked No. 1 in the nation in 3rd-down conversion defense (23.8 percent) as well as ranking second in first downs defense (150); third in defensive touchdowns (5); fifth in total defense (262.5 ypg); sixth in red zone defense (63.0 percent) and turnovers gained (26); seventh in passes intercepted (16); and ninth in tackles for a loss per game (8.2). The Cowboys also ranked 13th in scoring defense (17.1 ppg) and were 17th in pass efficiency defense (109.69).

In the Southland Conference rankings, Guidry’s defense ranked No. 1 in eight statistical categories and second in three others.

The unit tied a NCAA all-division record against Incarnate Word on Oct. 21 when the Cowboys intercepted four passes returned for touchdowns. 

And in five games on the year, the defense did not allow a touchdown by its opponent. 

Guidry was one of the founding members of the D.W.A. (Defense With Attitude) and earned all-conference honors as a safety for McNeese during his playing career from 1990-93.

During that time, he helped resurrect the Cowboys’ program with two conference championships and first-ever playoff appearances and wins in 1991 and 1993. 

In his first season as head coach in 2016, Guidry gave up his duties as the defensive coordinator to focus on over-seeing all the action, and a year after his defense dominated in 2015, the 2016 defense struggled without having his undivided attention. McNeese fell to a 6-5 final record despite ranking second in the league in total, rushing and scoring defense. But the 285 points allowed were the most given up in three years while the unit ranked near the bottom of the league in red-zone defense by allowing 28 scores in 30 tries.
  
Offensively, the Cowboys posted one of their greatest seasons in school history, led by transfer quarterback James Tabary who threw for 3,036 yards, the second-most in a season in school history, and 23 touchdowns. The New Orleans native who came to McNeese via Arkansas State, set records for most completions (249) and attempts (415) in a season; most games with 25 or more completions (6); and tied records for most games throwing for 300 yards or more (4) and touchdown passes in a game (5).
 
In 2015, Guidry, as the team’s defensive coordinator, helped McNeese win its 14^th Southland Conference championship, a league record, while the team posted a perfect regular season.
 
His defense ranked 12^th 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 4^th-down conversion defense sixth in first downs defense, and seventh in 3^rd-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 now 11 combined years on the McNeese staff, the Cowboys have compiled a 92-40 record, including a 55-20 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 and his wife, Starlet, have four children: Janzen, Madison, Alexis and Kaitlyn, and two grandchildren, Ethan and Kash.

What They’re Saying about Lance Guidry:
 
Mac Barousse, former Carencro High School Head Coach
“One thing about Lance, if there was anyone that’s born to coach, it’s him. The way he handled the kids and his desire to learn was unbelievable. He always made kids believe and play extremely hard for him. And throw in his big love for the game, who wouldn’t want to play for him. Being an alum, we’re very lucky to hire him. Over the last 10 years he could’ve easily slipped into the upper echelon of college football.”
 
Kirby Bruchhaus, former McNeese State Assistant and Head Coach
“I think Lance is going to do a great job. He’s already done real well with the defense. He’s an inspirational guy and gets along with the players. He’s a good disciplinarian and you have to have that to have good teams. I’m so proud of him. He was one of the original guys when we got here. He’s been through the battles and has been at different places. I’m so glad McNeese has hired him.”
 
Mike Haywood, Texas Southern Head Coach
“Lance is one of the best defensive coordinators in the country. Not only is he a great defensive coordinator, but when you have the opportunity to sit and talk ball with him, he understands all phases of the game – defense, offense, and special teams. I knew Lance years ago when he went to interview at Leesville. He told me one day ‘coach, one day you’re going to hire me.’ He’s a man of great character, great integrity and runs a well-disciplined program. His enthusiasm is unbelievable. He has the ability to get his players to play at their highest level. He will do extremely well there at McNeese.”