Mike Lucas
Head Football Coach
Phone: (985) 549-5550
Email:
michael.lucas@selu.edu
Entering his fourth full season as head football coach at Southeastern Louisiana University,
Mike Lucas has continued to strive on a mission of molding a championship-caliber program through a heavy emphasis on in-state recruiting.
Named the 14th head football coach in Southeastern Louisiana history on December 14, 2006, his main focus was to quickly stabilize a young program that was affected by two seasons of distractions while building a program with new players from a deep pool of talent in the state of Louisiana.
One look at the Southeastern roster reveals a strong base of players from the Pelican State. Of the players on the 2010 roster, 65 hail from the state of Louisiana with 51 coming from within the state in the past three years.
But with his many years of experience in the Southland Conference, learning under some of the league’s legendary mentors, and gaining the trust and admiration of his players, Lucas has the Lions on track as they enter their sixth season in one of the top football conferences in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Under Lucas’ guidance, Southeastern has improved its overall record each season while attendance at Strawberry Stadium has steadily increased during the same time span. After leading Southeastern to a 6-5 record, its best mark since finishing 7-4 in 2004, Lucas was selected as Coach of the Year by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and was later awarded with a new three-year contract extension.
Paced by strong performances on offense by Brian Babin and Simmie Yarborough, Southeastern posted the third-highest mark in total offense (4,274 yards) and passing yards (3,112) in school history. Yarborough, despite missing two games with an injury, recorded 803 receiving yards with 12 touchdowns – the second-highest total for both categories in a single season. For the second straight year, 10 players earned All-Southland Conference honors with Mark Newbill and Re’Keem Wilson each earning first-team honors.
Southeastern provided its fans with one of the greatest comebacks in school history as it rallied from a 24-point fourth quarter deficit on the road and edged league rival Texas State in overtime, 51-50. The Lions’ emotional win in San Marcos, their first victory ever against their league rival in 13 contests, gave Southeastern fans new excitement of what was to come and showed that the Lions were going to play the full 60 minutes.
The win propelled Southeastern to open league play with a 4-1 record that included a 25-21 victory over nationally-ranked Central Arkansas along with victories over Sam Houston State and Northwestern State. The 27-0 win against the Demons, their in-state rival and most common opponent, was Southeastern’s first victory in Natchitoches since 1976 and the Lions’ first shutout since a 28-0 decision against Western Kentucky in 1984.
And through his own personal trials, Lucas has also provided his team with a toughness and determination not seen by most football programs.
Lucas’ leadership was never more evident in the 2008 season when he had to step away from the sidelines for the final six games due to having a heart valve procedure. His first decision was to name then-offensive coordinator Tommy Condell as acting head coach – a move that helped the program maintain its stability. The Lions finished the 2008 campaign with a 5-7 record and were competitive in each game of a 12-game schedule that included FBS opponents Mississippi State and Louisiana Tech.
Despite missing the final six games as head coach, Lucas was allowed by his doctors to return to coaching as he assisted Condell and defensive coordinator Matt Webb in the Lions’ regular-season finale at Nicholls State. He was soon given full medical clearance and was quickly back on the recruiting trail before eventually returning to the sidelines in Southeastern’s 2009 opener against Texas A&M-Commerce.
In 2008, Southeastern posted the third-best mark in school history for passing yards (3,087), all-purpose yards (5,702), total offense (4,088) and points scored (327). Babin posted the third-best totals for passing yards (2,806), touchdowns (25) and completion percentage (62.4) while three receivers, Jay Lucas, Chris Wilson and Yarborough, the SLC Freshman-of-the-Year, each caught 50 passes in a season.
Defensively, safety Tommy Connors produced an All-American season, finishing second in the Southland Conference in tackles while leading the league in interceptions.
Officially named head football coach at the end of the 2006 campaign after serving the previous two seasons as defensive coordinator, Lucas is familiar with the ingredients that are needed to be a consistent winner in the Southland Conference.
Lucas took over the program on an interim basis for the final three games of the 2006 season before embarking on his first full season as head coach in 2007. With a new quarterback and tremendous youth on the defensive side of the ball, the Lions showed dramatic improvement and played with the heart and determination needed to win championships.
Southeastern finished the 2007 season with a 3-8 record, but the foundation for a successful gridiron future was laid under Lucas’ guidance.
Offensively in 2007, Southeastern relied on the play of All-SLC running back Jay Lucas along with first-year starter Babin, who made great strides during the season at quarterback and fifth-year wideout Byron Ross, who provided the Lions on of the top deep threats in the league.
With an extremely youthful defense, featuring as many as seven true freshmen on the field at one time, Southeastern displayed Lucas’ hard-nosed style of play in every game during the season.
With a defense highlighted by a pair of youngsters, Connors and Newbill, the Lions finished near the top of the FCS national rankings in turnover margin.
Under Lucas’ guidance as Southeastern entered the SLC in 2005 after spending the previous two years as an independent, the majority of the Lions’ defensive numbers improved across the board despite facing a much stiffer schedule including a full-conference slate. As newcomers to the SLC, the Lions were no cubs, especially on defense where they were third overall, behind only conference co-champs Nicholls and Texas State, in total defense (349.5 YPG), were second in pass efficiency defense (115.7), third in rushing defense (146.3 YPG) and first in opponent first downs allowed (181).
Following the season, defensive back Charles Hall signed a free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns pushing the total number of defensive NFL signees coached by Lucas to eight. Six Lion defenders earned all-Southland notice while Duriel Adams was also named all-Louisiana.
Lucas also serves as the liaison to the Career and Academic Planning Center. The CAP Center assists with all advising and tutorial services provided for Southeastern student-athletes. After one year, the team G.P.A. had seen a considerable increase, doubling the number of football players attaining a 3.0.
Although the hard work of the players, coaches and staff are critical, at least part of the Lions’ success in 2005 could be attributed to Lucas’ familiarity with the Southland. No stranger to the SLC, Lucas previously served as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for veteran Ron Randleman at Sam Houston State for 15 years repeatedly producing defensive units that ranked among the best in NCAA Division I-AA football and the Southland Conference.
During his time at SHSU, Lucas guided the Bearkat defense among the top 15 in national defensive statistical categories 11 times and led the Southland in defensive statistics five times. The defense set several school records in his tenure including marks for most quarterback sacks (52, 2001) and fewest points allowed (13.2 ppg, 1991). Under Lucas, the Bearkat defense turned out seven defensive players who signed National Football League contracts and two who were NFL draft choices.
Lucas coached 41 defensive players who earned All-Southland honors a total of 65 times. Prior to joining the SHSU staff in 1987, Lucas previously served as defensive coordinator at Eastern New Mexico where his squad led the Lone Star Conference in total defense and scoring defense and ranked third nationally in punt returns.
In 1984, he coached wide receivers at UTEP. From 1980 to 1983, he coached the secondary, defensive line and linebackers and assisted in the strength and conditioning program at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. He began his coaching career at the College of William and Mary in 1979 as a defensive student assistant.
Lucas was a three-year letterman in football at Pemberton (N.J.) High School and also lettered in baseball and wrestling. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Liberty in 1982, majoring in physical education and psychology.
He and his wife, Wendy, have two sons, Tyler (23), a former quarterback and 2009 graduate of Cornell University, and Torin (21), a junior catcher on the Southeastern baseball team.
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