On December 10, 2022, Pete Rossomando was named as the head coach of Lamar football in a hiring that changed the trajectory of the program. Rossomando took over a squad that went 1-10 (.091) in 2022 and won just five games combined over the previous three seasons. A quick turnaround seemed an insurmountable task to many, however, Rossomando led the Cardinals to a 6-5 record in 2023, marking a five-win increase from 2022 which was the fourth largest single-season turnaround in FCS football that season. Since then, his teams have climbed by a win each season and, in 2025, the Cardinals earned their first playoff berth since 2018.
 
Lamar's 6-5 season in 2023 showed the massive impact that quality coaching can have on a team. Rossomando did not have to completely overhaul the 2022 roster to achieve a five-win increase in year one. In fact, many of the best players from the 2023 team such as Khalan Griffin, Khristian Pugh, Caleb Williams, Robert Bonar, Andre Dennis, Sevonne Rhea, Kyndon Fuselier, Damashja Harris, Izaha Jones, and others were players that Rossomando retained from the 2022 roster. The 2022 team was competitive despite the record, with four of Lamar's losses coming by just one score. Rossomando was able to see the potential in that team and retain key players. Overall, Lamar's top two rushing leaders and top seven leaders in receiving yards from the 2023 season were players that returned from 2022.
 
Rossomando also utilized the portal to bring in many other key additions to the program for the 2023 season. Perhaps the biggest addition was QB Robert Coleman, who started 28 games for Lamar during his LU career and helped lead the turnaround. Rossomando also made other key additions on the offensive line and on defense.
 
Lamar was not given high expectations before the 2023 season, as the Cardinals were picked seventh in the Southland preseason poll. However, Lamar blew expectations out of the water in Rossomando's first season at the helm, finishing third in the league with a 5-2 record. Despite an 0-3 start to the year due to a challenging non-conference schedule with games against No. 8 Idaho, UL Monroe and South Dakota, the Cardinals went 6-2 in their final 8 games with victories over Lincoln University (Calif.), Houston Christian, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana, East Texas A&M and McNeese. With that season, Rossomando established Lamar football as a contender and set the stage for future campaigns.
 
The Cardinals took another step forward in 2024, finishing the year with a 7-5 record. Lamar started the year with a competitive one-possession loss at FBS Texas State before rattling off three consecutive wins against Mississippi Valley State, #20 Weber State and Texas Southern. Early in the season, Lamar entered the Stats Perform Top 25 poll for the first time in program history, jumping to #22 after the win over Weber State. While Lamar did not finish the season among the top 25, the early season ranking marked another major milestone for the program. The Cardinals went 4-3 in conference play that year, earning wins over East Texas A&M, Northwestern State, Nicholls and McNeese. This season provided another steppingstone leading up to the historic 2025 season.
 
In 2025, the Cardinals finished with an 8-5 record en route to their first playoff berth since 2018. Lamar went 7-1 over its first eight games of the season, including one of the highest-ranked wins in program history against #4 South Dakota. Additionally, the Cardinals earned another ranked win later in the season against #19 Southeastern Louisiana. Close, gritty wins were characteristic of Lamar's 2025 season. LU won five games by one possession and provided some thrillers in Beaumont, with every home game being decided by a single possession. The season finished as one of the best in the history of Lamar football as Big Red also tied a single-season record for wins (as a four-year institution). 
 
Now, Rossomando has the Cardinals sitting at 3-1 and once again nationally ranked following marquee wins against Abilene Christian and Idaho in non-conference play. Lamar is currently ranked among the top 15 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and Stats Perform Polls. The Cardinals will look to take yet another step forward Saturday when they return home to host Northwestern State at 6 p.m. from Provost Umphrey Stadium.