Bulldog Blitz makes first stop at Heard Freighthouse Food Park

The first stop for Louisiana Tech’s Bulldog Blitz had a little home cooking.

As multiple coaches and athletics administrators mingled with fans and offered an early preview for the year ahead for each of their respective programs, the event’s laid- back atmosphere played well at the Heard Freighthouse Food Park Monday evening in downtown Ruston.

It was the first time the Bulldog Blitz took place at home, a first met with more than 50 engaged attendees on the hot summer evening.

Before personal anecdotes and slices of news were shared, each coach came to the same conclusion for the start of the annual fan engagement event: it all comes back to the roots in Ruston.

“It’s everything, especially in a community like Ruston. Ruston is us. We are Ruston,” Tech mens basketball coach Talvin Hester said. “We love the connection with people, connecting with the ones supporting us, see familiar faces and kind of give them info on what we’re doing, what’s going on. All part of the job.”

Hester, who will enter his second season as head coach of the Bulldogs this winter, said the Bulldog Blitz lets coaches share gratitude with some of the school’s most dedicated supporters, all while showing a different side of themselves than the sideline persona that takes over once competition begins.

Same goes for Tech football coach Sonny Cumbie, who will also enter his second season in Ruston.

Cumbie, who rarely is shy about talking about his team’s progress or his feelings on his program’s outlook, added that the Bulldog Blitz gives him the chance to let fans know he and his staff believe the 2023 season will be an improvement from his first year at the helm.

While his 6-foot-4 stature made it hard to truly rub shoulders with Tech faithful Monday, Cumbie said any chance he can get to spread good news about the Bulldogs is worth attending.

Program building is more than the players you bring in. For Cumbie, building a community network is just as valuable.

“Last year, it was more about getting to know us and our staff, and now I think it’s about just the progress we’ve had with our football team in terms of building our roster, in terms of what phase we’re in right now with our football team,” Cumbie said. “I think any chance we have as a staff and athletic department to get in front of our fans to be here at the Heard food truck park, which is a place we frequent often, it’s great to get out and really give everybody an update on where we’re all at in our program.”

Tech baseball coach Lane Burroughs joked that most of the questions he’d be expecting from fans at the Blitz was a variation of ‘“what went wrong” after the 28-31 season the Bulldogs had on the Diamond, but after seven years in town, he knows he’d take that over a fanbase that didn’t care enough to ask.

It’s why the Tech skipper felt comfortable enough to let loose and speak freely with supporters Monday night.

Like Hester, Burroughs said the Bulldog Blitz is a nice reminder that fans have faces and names and want to know their coaches can take time to break the shell of coach speak and state secrets.

“We’ve never really done one in Ruston since I’ve been here, so this is awesome to start it here and have our local fans, alumni, stakeholders, season ticket holders come out and spend some quality time with them,” Burroughs said. “I love this. It relaxes us. We’re out of uniform and we’re one of them and they can ask us anything and mingle with them and you take your guard down a little bit.”

The Bulldog Blitz made its second stop in Shreveport Tuesday evening and will pick back up in Tyler, Texas, June 19. The remaining stops include: Dallas (June 20), Houston (June 21), and Baton Rouge (June 22).