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The Southland Conference, as part of its year-long 50th Anniversary commemo-ration, has announced its All-Decade Baseball Team from the 1970s. The team includes stars from its member institutions from the 1970 season through 1979.
A total of 40 student-athletes makeup the 1970s all-decade team, including hon-orees from each of the eight institutions that made up the league during that era. Louisiana Tech and Lamar each placed 11 student-athletes on the team. McNeese State had six, while Louisiana-Lafayette, Texas-Arlington and Trinity each had three. Arkansas State had two honorees and Abilene Christian had one.
“The level of Southland baseball in the 1970s was simply outstanding as the league transitioned into full Division I status and started making noise nationally,” league commissioner Tom Burnett said.
Louisiana Tech’s Pat “Gravy” Patterson joins Lamar Coach Jim Gilligan as co-coaches of the 1970s all-decade team. Patterson led his alma mater to three Southland championships during the decade, including back-to-back titles in 1974 and 1975 to go with an-other in 1978. He was named the Southland Conference Coach of the Year each of those seasons. His Bull-dogs advanced to three NCAA regionals, and the 1974 club was one game away from advancing to the College World Series. During the decade, he coached five Southland Hitters of the Year, two Pitchers of the Year, and 20 first-team all-conference selections. His teams were 252-142 (.640) overall and 80-48 (.625) in Southland play during the decade. Eleven of Patterson's players during the 1970s find a home on the all-decade team, including three-time first-team all-conference selections Dale Holman, an all-conference out-fielder in 1977, 1978 and 1979; and Steve Lacy, an all-conference shortstop in 1973, 1974 and 1975.
Other Bulldogs on the all-decade team are catcher Chuck Bailey, a two-time all-conference pick in 1978 and 1979; outfielder Bobby Brasher, who was the 1974 Southland hitter of the year and an all-conference selec-tion in 1974 and 1976; pitcher Eddie Holman an all-league pick in 1974 and the Southland's career strikeout leader (336); catcher Richie McAlister, the 1975 hitter of the year and all-conference pick in 1974 and 1975; pitcher Randy McGilberry, who was an all-conference selection and pitcher of the year in 1975; outfielder Fred McGaha, the hitter of the year and
Get to Know Running Back Kenneth Dixon
LA Tech Leads Southland Conference 1970s All-Decade Baseball Team
Inside this issue:
1970s All-Decade Baseball 1 & 2
Get to Know Kenneth Dixon 1 & 3
Facilities Update 2
Weatherspoon Hires 3
Introducing Kurt Hester 4
LA Tech Impressive APR 4
1964 Football Team 5 & 6
Membership Letter 7
gether every day as a team, and I feel
like Coach Hester has done a great job
helping improve our strength and getting
us ready for next season.
Q. What aspect have you been focusing
on most to improve yourself in the offsea-
son?
KD: Getting more flexible. Flexibility de-
creases the chance for injuries and
sometimes I ran too stiff last year.
Q. What’s your favorite thing about being
at LA Tech?
Coming off a record breaking
2012 Freshman campaign,
Kenneth Dixon is fired up
and ready to get back on the
field for the 2013 campaign.
The WAC Freshman of the
year and First Team All-
WAC honoree took some
time to sit down with us to answer a few
questions about himself.
Q. First off, Kenneth, how are summer work-
outs going?
KD: They’re going good. We’re coming to-
KD: It’s a great environment to be in. All
our players really want to be here and we
all have the same goals. All our coaches
are great. It’s a fun campus to be on and a
part of, and its also close to home for me.
Q. Favorite place you’ve ever played at?
KD: At home in the Joe.
Q. Which game are you looking forward to
most on the schedule next year?
KD: NC State
Q. What’s your favorite football memory to
date?
Louisiana Tech Lettermen's Club
June 2013
(continued on Page 3)
(continued on Page 2)
Gravy watching the action
all-conference pick in 1972; pitcher Bill Nordwood, the pitcher of the year and all-conference selection in 1973; and, second baseman Phil Willingham, who received all-conference honors in 1974 and 1976.
Another Louisiana Tech player on the 1970s all-decade team is Mike Jeffcoat, who was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 1980 and went on to an 11-year career in Major League Baseball with the Indians, Giants, Rangers and Marlins. He is currently the head baseball coach at Texas Wesleyan.
Louisiana Tech Players from 1970s All-Decade Team (1970-79) Chuck Bailey, Louisiana Tech - C - 1978, 1979
Bobby Brasher, Louisiana Tech - OF - 1974, 1976 (1974 Hitter of the Year)
Dale Holman, Louisiana Tech - OF - 1977, 1978, 1979 (1978 & 1979 Hitter of the Year)
Eddie Holman, Louisiana Tech - P - 1974 (Southland Career Strikeout Leader-336)
Mike Jeffcoat, Louisiana Tech - P (1983-94 MLB, Cleveland, San Francisco, Texas, Florida)
Steve Lacy, Louisiana Tech - SS - 1973, 1974, 1975
Richie McAlister, Louisiana Tech - C - 1974, 1975 (1975 Hitter of the Year)
Randy McGilberry, Louisiana Tech - P - 1975 (1975 Pitcher of the Year)
Fred McGaha, Louisiana Tech - OF - 1972 (1972 Hitter of the Year)
Bill Norwood, Louisiana Tech - P - 1973 (1973 Pitcher of the Year)
Phil Willingham, Louisiana Tech - 2B - 1974, 1976
Co-Coaches of the Decade: Jim Gilligan, Lamar, and Pat Patterson, Louisiana Tech
Page 2 Louisiana Tech Lettermen's Club Newsletter
Facility Updates– J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park
When the Louisiana Tech Baseball team returns to school in
the fall, they will return to new and improved facilities and
amenities. After undergoing recent renovations, approxi-
mately 2,000 square feet has been added to the facility. Up-
grades include a new training room, laundry room, a private
dressing room for the coaches, and a computer lab and
study area for the student-athletes. The former locker room
has been renovated into a players’ lounge. Furniture for the
players’ lounge and furnishings for the locker room have
been ordered and will be in place within the next two weeks.
The first use of the new facilities and will take place during
the High School Top Dawg Baseball Camp July 29-31.
New players’ lounge. The former locker room. New locker room
Fred McGaha with a base hit
(continued from page 1)
Page 3 Louisiana Tech Lettermen's Club Newsletter
Weatherspoon Announces Coaching Additions Louisiana Tech head coach Teresa Weatherspoon announced Tuesday that she has filled two of her coaching vacan-cies with the hiring of Mike Ekanem and Drew Miller.
Both Ekanem and Miller will serve as assistant coaches for Weatherspoon and the Lady Techsters as the sixth-year LA Tech head coach still has one coaching vacancy and the director of basketball operations position to fill.
"This is an opportunity for me to find the right people to fill these openings," Weatherspoon said. "I'm excited about the challenge. I think I've found two great fits in both Mike and Drew. I hope to have the rest of the staff completed before we hit the road recruiting in July."
Ekanem comes to Ruston with experience on the AAU, college and professional levels. In addition to his coaching ex-perience, Ekanem has spent part of his career working closely in the strength and conditioning field.
His responsibilities on Weatherspoon's staff include serving as the recruiting coordinator, camp coordinator and in guard development.
"Mike's recruiting mindset is why not go after top 100 players," Weatherspoon said. "He is a young man who is fired up about his responsi-bilities and who is fired up about being a part of this program. He did a tremendous job on the professional level with both the San Antonio Silver Stars and San Antonio Spurs.”
"Being on the Lady Techster women's basketball staff is an absolute blessing for me," Ekanem said. "I have been offered several college jobs in the past few years but was never ready to make that move nor did I feel any of those jobs were a right fit for me. When (Coach) Spoon offered me a job at LA Tech it was a no-brainer. I know the tradition and history of the Lady Techster program. I have faith that this is the right program for me and perfect timing to make a huge impact in both recruiting and skill development."
Miller joins Weatherspoon and Co. with the majority of his vast coaching experience coming on the men's side of the game. He will be re-sponsible for directing the Lady Techster defensive schemes as well as post player development.
"Drew is an amazing guy," Weatherspoon said. "He will be our defensive coordinator and take that responsibility off my hands. He will im-plement all of our defensive schemes, and I think it is important that we utilize a variety of defenses. He started coaching on the men's side and then fell in love with the women's game. All of his teams have always been consist defensively so obviously his players have bought into his schemes. He also believes in getting up and down the floor and being active defensively.
"He has great experience. He has already been in the seat that I currently sit in. He understands what I need as a head coach. He has a positive approach. I like people with strong skin and that are confident. He understands what is important and believes in what he teaches.”
"I am honored and excited to become part of the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters family," said Miller. "I look forward to working with Coach Weatherspoon to help provide the championship mentality which she and the Lady Techsters program have established for decades.
"I also couldn't be happier to work with Coach Mike Ekanem to recruit the finest student-athletes in the country to wear Columbia Blue and represent the Lady Techsters on and off the court with class and excellence. As defensive coordinator, we will coach our team with passion and compassion, and we will play smart, tough, and with discipline."
KD: In the Texas A&M game when the guy pulled
my helmet off. After I put it back on I was still able
to score a touchdown.
Q. Which other player(s) do you look for to have a
breakout season this year?
KD: Paul Turner. And the whole O-line is gonna
breakout and really surprise a lot of people.
They’ve been doing work this offseason.
Q. Favorite professional athlete?
KD: Quinton Patton.
Q. Favorite pre-game meal?
KD: Steak and chicken with potatoes.
Q. Favorite sport to play outside of football?
KD: Basketball
Q. What do you listen to when you work out?
KD: We listen to Kevin Gates during work-
outs.
Q. Who’s got the best nickname on the team?
KD: “Lil’ Cone”- Jaydrick DeClouette
(Continued from page 1)
Page 4 Louisiana Tech Lettermen's Club
Introducing Kurt Hester: Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Louisiana Tech head football coach Skip Holtz announced the hiring of Kurt Hester as the athletic department's Head Strength and Conditioning Coach beginning in June 2013.
Hester joins the Louisiana Tech Family after serving as a National Director of Training for the D1 Sports Training Center in Nashville, Tenn., since 2008. He worked with training several professional athletes from leagues such as the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Soccer (MLS), National Hockey League (NHL) and the NFL Combine classes. One NFL player notable to Tech fans that Hester has worked with is former Bulldog quarterback Luke McCown.
"Kurt has phenomenal respect across the industry," Holtz said. "We are thrilled to have him join the Louisiana Tech Family. His back-ground, experience and knowledge is a huge asset and brings him instant credibility with the University's student-athletes. He is going to have a huge impact in our athletic department and I am looking forward to him working with all of our student-athletes."
Concurrent to his tenure at D1 Sports Training, Hester also worked as the Director of Training at the Manning Passing Academy as he designed a training program for over 1,300 high school athletes and delivered a specific training seminar for high school and college coaches.
From 1997 to 2008, Hester was the owner and Director of Performance at HS2 Athletic Performance in Mandeville. He developed and mentored area coaches for college and professional coaching careers with several going on to BCS-level schools and NFL teams. Over 500 athletes he worked with received collegiate scholarships during that time as he oversaw the development of over 400 junior and senior high students per day.
He graduated from Tulane University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise physiology. He also served as a graduate strength coach at Tulane for two years. Hester has certifications as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength & Conditioning Association and also has his Speed Agility & Conditioning certification as well as his Level 1 certifica-tion from the United States Weightlifting Association.
For the third consecutive year, all 16 of Louisiana Tech's athletic programs remained penalty-free as the latest Aca-demic Progress Rates (APR) were released by the NCAA.
The University continued to see impressive scores posted by its student-athletes across the board as four programs recorded their highest single year APR while seven of them saw their highest four-year APR.
In addition to succeeding on the gridiron and the hardwood, the Bulldog football and men's basketball teams led the way in continued improvements in the classroom. The LA Tech football team posted an all-time high single year (961) and multi-year (951) APR as its multi-year APR was the second highest among all Division I public institutions in the state.
Under the direction of second year head coach Mike White, the Bulldog basketball team - which suffered NCAA penalties four years ago - recorded an all-time program best single year APR of 951.
Other LA Tech programs that posted all-time single year highs included men's cross country (1000) and women's bowling (1000) while men's cross country (985), men's golf (1000), bowling (991), women's indoor track and field (959), women's outdoor track and field (959) and softball (987) all posted program best four-year APRs.
Head coach Jeff Parks and the Bulldog golf team were recognized last week with their third straight NCAA Public Recognition Award after their APR ranked in the top 10 percent among all the men's golf programs in the nation.
The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each quarter by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention, and graduation in the calculation and provides a picture of the academic culture in each sport.
In the most recent Federal Graduation Rate Report released last fall, Louisiana Tech's student-athletes reached another all-time high in the classroom as the University recorded its highest student-athlete Graduation Success Rate (GSR) ever. Tech's student-athletes re-corded a four-year graduation success rate of 76 percent, which was four percentage points better than the previous record-high of 72.
Tech also boasted a pair of Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-Americans this past school year as Bulldog football player Ray Hol-ley (first team) and Lady Techster designated player Erin Kipp (second team) both earned the prestigious honors.
LA Tech Athletics Record Impressive APR Scores
Page 5
A Look Back at Champions Louisiana Tech’s 1964 nationally-ranked football team downed nine foes and captured the Gulf States Conference title with a 9-1 overall record and a perfect 5-0 conference record. Going unbeaten in league play, Tech wound up fourth in the AP poll, fifth in the UPI poll and first in the Pecan Bowl poll. Coach Joe Aillet was honored as the Gulf States Conference Coach of the Year. Tech’s All-GSC selections included quarterback Billy Laird, flanker Corky Corkern, fullback Gerald McDowell, end Wayne Davis, tackle James Boudreaux, tackle Robert Malone, center Paul Clark and guard David Bass.
Athletic Director and Coach Joe Aillet
Backfield awards at the Rotary Club banquet went to
Kenny Tidwell, Tom Robertson, Richie Golmon, and Jim
Stringer.
Linemen receiving awards were Dan Irby, Robert Malone, David Lee,
James Boudreaux, Maurice Greer, Pat Lynch, Bob McKinnon, Bob Jolet,
Wayne Gray, and Paul Clark.
Laird gets the pass away in heavy traffic McDowell moves up field with Bass out front blocking
Golmon gets to the outside
A wall of Tech defenders stands firm
Weaver escapes a would
be tackler.
Lynch with the reception and gets up field
Davis takes off against
Arlington State
McKinnon’s block springs Golmon
Lee with a great catch over the middle against Southeastern Reeves busts through the middle against Northwestern State
On July 1, 2013, Louisiana Tech University will officially become a member of Conference USA. What a proud time it is to be a part of the Louisiana Tech family. We are now entering our second year of the Louisiana Tech Lettermen’s Club. We look for-ward to expanding the Club in 2013-14 and making it a truly unique experience and something that all former athletes, coaches and staff will be proud to be a member of.
If you joined the Lettermen’s Club last year, we thank you for your support and hope that you renew your membership for the upcoming year. If you did not join last year, we hope that you will join this year and get your former teammates to as well!
Club details and membership requirements are as follows:
Membership: Any former player, coach, manager, trainer or administrator can be a member of the Lettermen’s Club, regardless of whether you were awarded a letter
Dues: $50 (annual membership)
Benefits: Exclusive Lettermen’s Newsletter, Lettermen’s Club window decal, Lettermen’s Club lapel pin, Let-termen’s Club ID card, annual club meeting invitation, annual update from the sport(s) that you par-ticipated in, and an opportunity to network with former teammates and coaches
If you would like to join or renew the Louisiana Tech Lettermen’s Club, you may cut out the form below and mail it to the re-turn address, or you can click on the link below to sign up online. If you have any questions, please contact us at the numbers listed below, or contact Tyson Baldwin, Coordinator of Athletic Advancement, at the Marbury Alumni Center at 318-255-7950 or [email protected]
Thank you for supporting this endeavor, and we look forward to visiting with you soon!
Sincerely, Billy “Doc” Belding John Allen Athletic Trainer, 1973-77 Track, 1970-73 Track GA, 1967-69 713-882-3326 318-255-5059
2013-14 Membership Application Full name: ______________________________________________ Nickname: ____________________________
Email: _________________________________________________ Phone:________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sport(s)/year(s) played (list exactly for ID card): _____________________________________________________________________
□ Enclosed are my annual dues of $50. (2013-14 memberships will be valid July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014)
□ Also enclosed is $50 for a friend’s membership. Name: _______________________________________________________
(Your friend will be notified by the Lettermen’s Club of your gift.)
□ Check enclosed (made payable to Louisiana Tech Foundation/Lettermen’s Club)
□ Charge my credit card:
Card no. _______________________________________________________________ Exp. date ____________ Security code ___________
Billing address (if different from above): ______________________________________________________________________________________
Retur n w i th pa y ment to : L o ui s ia na Tech Let ter me n’ s Club | P .O. Bo x 1 1 9 0 | R usto n , L A 7 1 2 7 3
http://www.latechsports.com/LettermensClub.html
For more information on the Louisiana Tech Lettermen’s
Club, contact Tyson Baldwin at 318-255-7950 or
Also be sure to visit the new webpage at
LaTechSports.com/LettermensClub.html
THE PURPOSE OF THE LOUISIANA TECH LETTERMEN’S CLUB IS TO PROVIDE A
MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION FOR FORMER ATHLETES, COACHES, MANAGERS,
TRAINERS AND STAFF THAT WILL CONTINUE THE LEGACY, TRADITION AND VAL-
UES THAT COME FROM PARTICIPATING IN TECH ATHLETICS.
ANY FORMER PLAYER, COACH, MANAGER, TRAINER OR ADMINISTRATOR CAN BE A
MEMBER OF THE LETTERMEN’S CLUB, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU WERE
AWARDED A LETTER.
LaTechAlumni.org/LTAC
For up-to-date information
on all LA Tech Sports, visit
LaTechSports.com
2013 LA Tech Football Schedule August 31 @ NC State September 7 LAMAR September 14 TULANE September 21 @Kansas September 28 ARMY^ October 5 @UTEP October 19 NORTH TEXAS October 26 @FIU November 9 SOUTHERN MISS November 16 @Rice November 23 TULSA November 30 @UTSA * Conference Game ^Dallas, TX
