TRAINING ROOM 8 COACHES CORNER PRESENTED BY LOUISVILLE SLUGGER LOUISVILLE SLUGGER PRESENTS Robichaux: I agree. Back then there was not as much emphasis placed on baseball so a lot of young guys were able to get into the TONY ROBICHAUX OF THE UL RAGIN’ CAJUNS game. Today the young guys really have to pay their dues. That was something that was unique, to be able to take over a program at the ome may consider Tony Robichaux to be a big fish in a small Division I level at age 24 or 25. When you look back on it, we made pond, which is fine with him. As the head coach of the Univer- the regionals in 1988 and (the NCAA) sent me to Stillwater, Okla- sity of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns, Robichaux is at homa, where we were up against (head coaches) Gene Stephenson home.S The native of nearby Crowley has guided the school’s baseball with Wichita State, Norm DeBriyn with Arkansas, Dave Snow with team for the past two decades and built it into one of the premier Loyola Marymount, Gary Ward with Oklahoma State, and Louisiana programs in the country. In 2014, UL was ranked atop the national with coach (Mike) Boulanger. So it was tough back then, as well. polls for much of the regular season and won a program-best 58 But we had a big, big passion for baseball at McNeese State and games before falling in a hard-fought three-game Super Regional to passion outdoes logic sometimes. We were fortunate to have had Ole Miss. some great coaches come through there. Guys like Mike Bianco, who A former player at McNeese State, Robichaux was named head is now at Mississippi, came through McNeese as an assistant coach, coach of his alma mater in 1987, one year after he earned his bach- as did Todd Butler, the head coach at Wichita State. You can’t do this elor’s degree in health and physical education. Despite being one of job on your own. I had very good young coaches. In fact, I believe the youngest Division I head coaches in NCAA history, Robichaux led I had six guys who went on to become head coaches at Division I the Cowboys for eight seasons while becoming the program’s all-time programs. winningest head coach with a 263-177 record, including a 41-win BBTM: Considering that you were the head coach at your alma ma- season in his final campaign. Since taking his current job in 1995, ter, was it a tough decision to take the job in Lafayette nine years after Robichaux became in 2002 one of eight coaches in D1 history to win taking over the McNeese State program? his 500th game before his 41st birthday. He currently has 995 career Robichaux: Here’s what I believed in my heart. Lafayette is a great triumphs, which includes 10 NCAA Regional appearances with the community and I grew up 15 or 20 minutes from here in Crowley. Ragin’ Cajuns, three Super Regional appearances, and one visit, in There are a lot of Lions and Tigers and Falcons, but there’s only one 2000, to the College World Series. Ragin’ Cajun. It gave me the opportunity to sell something that I am. One of the most passionate coaches in college baseball, Robichaux In this business, you can sell a lot of things, but here I can come to took time this summer to speak with Baseball The Magazine’s Bill work every day and sell somebody on who I am. That was impor- Ballew about his career and the Louisiana baseball program. The tant. This is a proud community and the coaches that came before following is their conversation. me here had done a great job. I really felt that we could get into a BBTM: First of all congratulations on a great season. Although it conference that could get me closer to Omaha, which was my goal. ended prematurely by losing to Ole Miss in the Super Regionals, you Winning a championship in any conference is hard, and by being part have to be proud of what your team accomplished in 2014. of a good conference, it gives you the opportunity every year as an Robichaux: No doubt that this team accomplished a lot by being at-large team. The year (2000) we went t