Ivey talks state of Tech football

Louisiana Tech football needs to improve. Tech Athletic Director Ryan Ivey knows there’s no way around that.

Now six months on the job in Ruston, Ivey has spent his time gaining feedback from coaches, staff, and players across the department to set Tech up for future success across all sports. And chief among those tasks is evaluating the trajectory of a football program in desperate need of wins and respect.

The Bulldogs enter 2024 with three straight 3-9 seasons to overcome — the worst record (927) among Louisiana FBS schools in that span. And since the end of the 2019 season, Tech’s last winning season, the program has 14 wins — the second fewest among FBS programs in Louisiana. The record tells the story.

But how much pressure is really on Sonny Cumbie and the Bulldogs this year?

Well, if you go back to Ivey’s introductory presser on Feb. 29, he told fans, “ We have the ability, opportunity, and responsibility to dream big, bold, dreams, and we must not settle for anything less. Now is the time to raise the bar for Louisiana Tech athletics.”

So, how much and how quickly does the bar need to be raised for Cumbie and Tech football?

The Leader spoke one-on-one with Ivey on Tuesday to find out his official expectations for the Bulldogs.

RDL: Where do you think the state of the program is heading into 2024?

Ivey: “I’m cautiously optimistic about where we are from a football program standpoint. I know that’s me coming in and not being here previous years. I think we got some good energy internally with our team. I think we got some really good coaches, and I think there’s some synergy there with what they’re trying to do. I think they’re connecting well with our student athletes. I think Jeremiah [Johnson] and the defensive staff have done a really good simplifying their defense and creating an opportunity where our players feel free to play. And I think overall, they’ve done good creating a culture that will allow our student athletes to be successful.”

What will you look for this season to show you the program is moving in a positive direction?

“I think ultimately, we’re in a results-oriented business. But I don’t think that can be what we focus on. That can’t be the endall be-all of what we’re doing. For me, I look at every program we have and look at it in a very holistic manner and what are we doing from a competition standpoint? How competitive are we? The games we lost, why did we lose those games? Are we continuing to make the same mistake? Do our athletes quit on a coach? What’s that culture like?

“Are we in position to make plays to win games and maybe we just didn’t make plays. I think you’re looking at all of that. Off the field, we want to make sure we’re doing things right in the community, that our student athletes understand the responsibility they have of being a student athlete, that it’s not their God-given right to be here.

“They’ve been entrusted with something — we gotta make sure they understand that. If we want our community to support us, we gotta support our community. From a campus standpoint, what are we doing in the classroom? Are we doing well in the classroom? Are we doing things we’re supposed to be doing? All those things you look at it because ultimately it comes into the culture of a program and the team.”

Does this team need to make a bowl game to say it was a successful year?

“I think that’s a loaded question, and I don’t mean that negatively. Yes, ultimately, we want to make bowl games. I think if you were to ask our coaches, our players, I think no one understands that better than them. They know where we are. They know the situation in which we find ourselves.

“I think they understand that we got to be able to now perform on the competition surface. I hate to sit here and tell you it’s bowl game or bust because I don’t know that would quite be the case. I think we’re going to have to look at it from a holistic aspect and how to go from there. I am confident, and I said this on the radio on Friday, I think we can win seven games this year. I think our schedule sets up well for us. I think we’ve got good energy like I said earlier around our program. I think the guys believe in who they are. I think we can get there; I really do.”

Since you’ve gotten here, you’ve talked about defining what ‘success’ and ‘competitive’ means for each program. What does that look like for football going forward?

“I want to make sure we’re in games, that we’ve got a chance to win games in the fourth quarter. I think when you think about the opportunities of good programs, they find ways at the end of games to come out on top.

“Number one, we gotta win the games we’re supposed to win. If we’re the better team and we have the opportunity, then we need to win the games we’re supposed to win. And then the ones that we’re not supposed to win that we’re competitive and you put yourself in position to be successful at the end of games. Those are the things we’re certainly going to be looking at. I think those conversations Sonny has said as well. I think every coach would tell you that.”

So, would you say ‘success’ is still conference championships or the G5 playoff spot?

“I don’t know if I have a good answer for that right now. As we get through this year, I think we’ll have a better aspect of it. I think for me right now, I’d tell you certainly need to be competing for bowl games and have a chance to participate in bowl games and have a chance to have some postseason play.

“That’s really important to us. I think it’s important to our program. I think it’s important to the longterm sustainability of our program and what we’re trying to do. I think if you ask Sonny that, he’ll tell you that as well.

“He knows it. From a football standpoint, that’s where I would probably put it at right now. And then we gotta figure out are there other opportunities to grow it from there? If there is, then how do we do that and what’s the process and pathway to do that?”

Given the announcement of future games with Troy and Southern Miss, do you think there is a path forward to getting back to regional games, series? Is that a sign more is coming?

“I think for our standpoint, I think it’s a priority. I think we’ve talked about it. We’re working on some other things right now to create some regionality. If we’re not going to be in a league that’s regional in nature, then we’ve got to be able to control the controllables that we can from the nonconference standpoint to help us with that regionalization aspect.

“I think our fans want that and other fanbases want that. I’ve reached out to friends and colleagues that are at different schools from an AD perspective and said, ‘If ever Louisiana Tech can be a part of scheduling conversations, we want to be able to do that.’ And I would say that across multiple sports. There is no question we have lost some of that regionality and that rivalry that comes with what we’ve had in the past. I think we have to get back to that in some form or fashion.”

What would you say to a fan that’s frustrated by the state of the program and doesn’t see progress in their view?

“I guess what I would say is what are you not seeing that you want to see? I would want to ask that and genuinely want to know what they’re not seeing. If it’s just about the results, I get that.

“What I would tell fans is as we continue to work through the season from a football standpoint, we’re going to continue to evaluate where we are.

“We’re going to figure out the friction points that we have and things that work against us in having success, but that we need them to be part of what we’re doing. Not being a part of it doesn’t help us. I understand the frustration and the frustrations of not being part of a winning program. They are well founded. And if I’m in a fan’s perspective, I see that. But not supporting us because of that doesn’t help the situation. It just exacerbates the problem at hand.

“What I would ask is let’s engage in dialogue. I try to be as transparent as I can. If people have suggestions of what we can do better, let’s have that conversation, and something that’s constructive. I think a lot of times in athletics we get, ‘We just fire somebody.’ OK. Let’s work through that process and the unintended consequences of making that decision and what comes about that and how we work through that. That’s what I ask. If you have thoughts and ideas, we want to know.

“I’d also ask to make sure they make sense instead of, ‘Well just spend $10 million.’ If I had $ 10 million to spend, I would do that. If that’s the end goal, what’s the process and solution to get there? That’s what I would ask. Just hang in there with us. Be a part of it. We want to hear from you. I value feedback.”