BEAUMONT, Texas – It's goes without saying that Lamar University far exceeded expectations on the gridiron in 2023. Entering the year, LU was picked to finish next to last in the Southland preseason polls, but head coach Pete Rossomando, and his staff, had other ideas. The Cardinal coaching staff managed to get the team to quickly buy into those ideas and the result was an overlooked LU squad that thrust itself into the conference title conversation. Unfortunately, that conversation ended during the next to last week of the season at eventual SLC champ Nicholls, but what the Cardinals accomplished forced everyone to take notice.
 
By season's end, Lamar had recorded the fourth-largest single-season turnaround at the NCAA FCS level. Lamar recorded its first winning season since 2018, recorded its first 3-0 conference start since 1967 and won more games in 2023 than it had in the three previous seasons combined. All positive notes to carry into the offseason as Lamar landed seven players on the all-conference squad, including one first-team selection.
 
One of the unfortunate downsides to success is that you can almost count on your coaching staff getting picked apart by other schools looking for similar success. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just how all sports work. It also means that each head coach must constantly have a list of quality possible replacements for each position.
 
Having said that, the Cardinals have managed to keep nearly their entire staff in place from last season. Let me boil this down into more relatable terms: if there was a transfer portal for assistant coaches, Rossomando's staff elected not enter. That is a unique way of saying there is something good going on in Beaumont.
 
During the offseason, the Cardinals had to replace only one coach, and every head coach in the country would take that as a win. Even more importantly, Rossomando was able to slide a former LU assistant, and Southeast Texan, Morgan Ford, into that vacancy. This fact alone provides continued consistency for the current players on the roster as well as on the recruiting trail. Current players don't have to learn a new coach's style or what to expect, and vice versa.
 
The lone loss to the Cardinals' staff was outside linebackers coach Dave Stedman, but Rossomando was able to get Ford from the XFL's Houston Roughnecks to return to Beaumont. Ford is entering his second stint with the Cardinals, after spending the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Red and White.
 
Prior to the addition of Ford, Rossomando also managed to secure promotions for five members of his staff to stave off others who might try and hire them away. Coby Gipson, Wayne Cordova, Lorenzo Jackson, Todd Macon and Andrew Sparano were each promoted in February as the Cardinals look to strengthen the program's foundation.
 
"We have a great staff," said Rossomando "These guys really care about the players and they do a great job recruiting. Every aspect of our program is better because they're in it. I'm fortunate because they really believe in what we're doing here. I have strong relationships with these guys, and I think that helps."
 
As the Cardinals wrap up the second week of spring camp, its full steam ahead for the Red and White. The Cardinals still have three weeks of spring practice remaining before they wrap up camp with the annual Spring Game. The scrimmage will take place Friday, April 23^rd at 7 p.m. from Provost Umphrey Stadium. Admission is free.