University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Getting to Know Our Opponents -- Louisiana Tech
8/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The countdown is on as your Golden Eagles prepare for the 2015 Football season! The Golden Eagles and Bulldogs conclude the regular season at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, La. on Saturday, Nov. 28.
Getting to know... Louisiana Tech
General Information:
Location: Ruston, La.
Founded: 1894
Enrollment: 11,025
Nickname: Bulldogs
President: Dr. Les Guice
Athletics Director: Tommy McClellend
Colors: Blue and Red
Athletics Website: www.latechsports.com
Institution Website: www.latech.edu
Twitter (Athletics): @LATechSports
Twitter (Football): @LATechFB
Football Information:
Primary Offense: Spread
Primary Defense: Multiple
Letterwinners Returning / Lost: 43 / 23
Starters Returning / Lost: 14 / 11
Offense: 5 / 6
Defense: 6 / 5
Specialist: 3 / 0
Head Coach:
Skip Holtz enters his third year as the head coach at Louisiana Tech. Holtz was introduced as the 33rd head football coach of the Bulldogs during a press conference on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 in the Jarrell Room of the Charles Wyly Athletic Center. In just his second season at the helm of the Bulldogs, Holtz enjoyed a five-win improvement from his inaugural campaign as the 15-year coaching veteran led LA Tech to a 9-5 record and a Conference USA West Division title in the team's second year as a member of the league. Holtz and the Bulldogs capped off the 2014 season with a 35-18 win over Big Ten opponent Illinois in the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl at Cotton Bowl Stadium on Dec. 26, 2014.
Football Stadium:
Joe Aillet Stadium has been home to Louisiana Tech football for the past 45-plus years. Opened in 1968 at a capacity of 23,000, Joe Aillet Stadium -- which wasn't given its current name until Nov. 11, 1972, when it was dedicated in honor of the former Tech coaching legend -- has proven instrumental in some of the biggest wins in the program's 100-plus year history. In the summer of 2008, that turf was replaced with a new version to include the athletic department's new logo. In the summer of 2015, Joe Aillet Stadium received another upgraded surface as FieldTurf Revolution was installed in time for the upcoming season.
About Ruston:
Ruston is a small city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Lousiana. It is the largest city in the East Central Ark-La-Tex region. Ruston is the principal city of the Ruston Micropolitan Statisitcal Area, which includes all of the Lincoln and Jackson parishes. During the Reconstruction era following the Civil War, word soon reached the young parish near what is now Ruston, that the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad would begin to run across north Louisiana, linking the Deep South with the West. Robert Edwin Russ, donated acres to the town and this area became known as Ruston.
Notable Alumni:
Trace Adkins, Country Music Singer
Kix Brooks, Country Music Singer, member of Brooks and Dunn.
Nick Akins, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Electric Power
Terry Bradshaw, retired NFL quarterback for the Pittsburg Steelers, Pro Hall of Fame (1989), NFL MVP; Four-time Super Bowl champion; Two-time Super Bowl MVP; Three-time Pro Bowl selection; Four-time All-Pro selection.
Phil Robertson, Founder of Duck Commander and member of the hit TV show Duck Dynasty; Three-time letterwinner in football at LA Tech, starting over four-time Super Bowl Champion Terry Bradshaw; gave Terry Bradshaw his nickname -- "The Blonde Bomber."
Karl Malone, former NBA basketball player; nicknamed "The Mailman;" Two-time NBA MVP; 14-time All-Star; and 11-time All-NBA First Team.
Teresa Weatherspoon, women's basketball player; 1987-88 (2x) Kodak NCAA All American; Won 1988 Wade Trophy for top player in the country; Won Olympic Medals in 1988 (Gold) and 1992 (Bronze); and former head women's basketball coach at Louisiana Tech.
Kim Mulkey, women's basketball player; Former All-American at LA Tech and current head women's basketball coach at Baylor, leading the Bears to a pair of National Championships; Inducted into Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Willie Roaf, former football player in the NFL, playing primarily for the New Orleans Saints; 2012 NFL Hall of Famer with 11 Pro Bowl Appearances; Named First-Team All-Pro seven times and All-NFC six times; Member of NFL's All Decade Team of 1990s and 2000s.
