McNeese Hall of Fame linebacker Charlie Ayro is in his third season on the Cowboys’ staff, serving as the teacher of the position he once dominated.
In the prior two years, he’s instilled his knowledge of a position he once dominated as a player.
In 2017, the Cowboys ranked No. 1in the FCS in rushing defense, first downs defense, and third down conversion defense.
He also coached two-time team captain and all-conference performer Ashari Goins as well as newcomer BJ Blunt who came on strong when moved from safety to the linebacker position. Blunt earned all-conference honorable metion honors for the season.
In his first season of his second stint on staff, he mentored an agressive and somewhat young linebacker group that was led by team captain Ashari Goins and Christian Jacobs. Goins finished third on the team with 57 total tackles to go along with five tackles for a loss.
Five times in that season, the Cowboys held opponents to less than 100 yards rushing with a low of 5 yards by Tarleton State.
Ayro spent 12 years at the high school ranks prior to returning to McNeese, most recently as the defensive coordinator at Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas.
He was last on the Cowboys’ staff in the 2002 and 2003 seasons where her helped coach the Cowboys to the 2002 FCS national championship game and back-to-back Southland Conference championships. During that time he assisted with the defensive backs, coaching 2002 SLC Player of the Year Hadley Prince and NFL draftee Keith Smith.
As a player for McNeese, he was a consensus all-American for the Cowboys from 1995-98. He led the team in tackles three seasons and in addition to his career record in the category, his 171 tackles in 1998 still stands as a single-season record. Also that year he was named the conference’s defensive player of the year and was named to five all-America teams.
He had a stint in the professional ranks, playing arena football.
After he earned his master’s degree at McNeese in 2003, he went on to coach six seasons at Lamar Consolidated as linebacker coach from 2004-09 and helping the Mustangs to the Division I 4A Texas State Championship in 2007. He served as defensive coordinator at LaGrange High School here in Lake Charles from 2010-12 before moving back to Texas in Katy.
Ayro, a 2010 inductee into the McNeese Sports Hall of Fame, recruits the Houston area.
ABOUT COACH AYRO
DATE OF BIRTH: November 2, 1976
HOMETOWN: New Orleans
HIGH SCHOOL: Edna Karr Magnet
COLLEGE: McNeese, 2008
FAMILY: Wife-Courtney; Daughter-Kyndal; Sons-Cayden and Cayleb
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
MCNEESE:
• Linebacker at McNeese 1995-98.
• 1998 SLC Defensive Player of the Year.
• 1st team All-SLC 1997, 1998.
• 1st team All-Louisiana 1997, 1998.
• 1998 team captain.
• 3-time team Defensive MVP - 1996, 1997, 1998.
• 1998 team MVP.
• 1998 All-American - AP, Walter Camp,
FCA, Sports Network, ESPN-USA Today.
• 1997 All-American - Walter Camp,
Sports Network, ESPN-USA Today.
• 2010 McNeese Hall of Fame inductee.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2016-Present: McNeese (Linebackers)
2013-15: Seven Lakes HS, Katy, Texas
2010-12: LaGrange HS, Lake Charles, La.
2004-09: Lamar Consolidated, Rosenberg, Texas
2002-03: McNeese (assisted DL, DBs and LBs)
ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS COACHED
2017: Ashari Goins
(1st Team All-SLC)
2002: Hadley Prince
(1st Team All-SLC & All-Louisiana)
Keith Smith
(1st Team All-SLC)
2003: Keith Smith
(1st Team All-SLC & All-Louisiana)
ALL-AMERICA PLAYERS COACHED
2002: Hadley Prince
(1st team AP; 1st team
Walter Camp; 1st team FCA; 1st team
Sports Network; 1st team Don Hansen)
