LAKE CHARLES - McNeese Athletics has announced the addition of former student-athlete Megan Soileau as well as Jules Sullen to Academic Services while Melanie Coyne has been promoted to the Director of Event and Facility Operations. Soileau and Sullen will be joined by Sandi Rodriguez to complete a three-person staff for athletics academics.
 
Sullen is the newest member of the department and will be exclusive academic advisor for the Cowboy football program in the day-to-day operations while Soileau, who oversees the entire academic staff, will continue to work with football on eligibility issues.
 
"Jules is a great addition to our team," said Interim AD Heath Schroyer. "His organization skills and professionalism are more than impressive. He has a huge responsibility overseeing academics for football. I wouldn't want anyone else leading the way in that office."
 
A longtime high school football head coach in Lake Charles (LaGrange and Hamilton Christian), Sullen will work with the football student-athletes in their academics with advising and scheduling as well as working with them in the study lab.
 
His position, which is newly created exclusively for the football program, will help McNeese regain and retain good standing with the NCAA and the APR.
 
As a high school coach, Sullen compiled a 63-58 record in 11 seasons – nine at LaGrange, one at Scotlandville and one at Hamilton Christian. He posted a 54-47 record at LaGrange, his alma mater, winning or sharing district titles in five seasons, including four straight titles from 2011-2014.
 
Sullen earned his degree in health and physical education in 1993 from Morehouse College.
 
Soileau, a former Cowgirl soccer student-athlete, assumed the role of the Director of Student Services earlier this summer. She'll oversee the entire academic department while working closely with men's and women's basketball and baseball while also handling eligibility needs for all sports.
 
"I've been very impressed with Megan," said Schroyer. "She walked into a tough situation and established some true policies and procedures for our academic services unit. Being a former Cowgirl, she has a passion for this University and it shows every day."
 
A native of Cypress, Texas, Soileau returns to Lake Charles after spending the last four seasons in the coaching ranks at ULM (2016-2017) and Southern Mississippi (2018-2019) for those respective women's soccer programs.
 
While at McNeese, she played four years for the Cowgirls, earning Southland Conference Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll all four seasons. She was selected to the NCAA Career in Sports Forum in 2014, was president of the SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Council) and FCA, named to the President's List Honor Roll, and graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor's in health and human performance with an emphasis on kinesiology, sports management and education in 2013. She earned her master's degree in exercise physiology from McNeese in December 2014, graduating with a 4.0 GPA while receiving the Doré College of Graduate Students Award.
 
Coyne took over as the Director of Event and Facility Operations on July 1 after spending a year as the Cowgirl softball, tennis and soccer director of operations, facilities and game management.
 
A California native, Coyne will be in charge of all aspects of game day operations as well as being the point person for athletic facilities.
 
"Melanie's addition to our staff is a true asset," said Schroyer. "She is young, passionate, has a lot of energy and is extremely talented. She has a bright future in college athletics and will help this department tremendously."
 
Coyne came to McNeese after spending two seasons at ULM as the pitching coach for the Warhawk softball team. She was also a four-year player for ULM and continues to hold five school records in the pitching department. She's a 2016 graduate of ULM with a degree in English and earned her master's degree in Sports Management in 2018 from ULM.