Football: UL hires SLU’s Roberts after losing Scott to Alabama

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, Jan. 20, 2018

Ron Roberts resigned as Southeastern Louisiana’s head coach on Friday to become UL’s new defensive coordinator. (Photo: Courtesy of Southeastern Louisiana)

The UL football announced Friday that it has filled two coaching positions, including the hiring of Southeastern Louisiana head coach Ron Roberts as its new defensive coordinator.

Roberts resigned his position with the Lions, who went 6-5 last season, on Friday to take the UL job.

He replaces Karl Scott, a former Texas Tech defensive backs coach and Southeastern Louisiana defensive coordinator who left the Ragin’ Cajuns after just a few weeks to take an assistant coaching position at national-champion Alabama.

New UL head coach Billy Napier offered no comment on Roberts’ hiring Friday.

Roberts went 42-29 with two FCS Southland Conference championships since 2012 at Southeastern Louisiana, including an outright championship in 2013 and a co-championship in 2014.

Prior to that he was head coach for five seasons at NCAA Division II-member Delta State. He also was defensive coordinator for one season at Texas State in 2003, among several stops.

UL also announced on Friday the hiring of D.J. Looney to the full-time staff position of assistant offense line coach.

Looney was tight ends coach last season at his alma mater Mississippi State, a grad assistant at Georgia in 2016 and tight ends/offensive tackles coach at Central Arkansas from 2014-15.

He’ll assist Rob Sale, UL’s new offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.

With the additions of Roberts and Looney, Napier has one assistant’s position on his staff still unannounced — cornerbacks coach.

The Cajuns on Friday also named former starting center Eddie Gordon an assistant strength and conditioning coach and “director of player development.”

CARENCRO’S ANGELLE OFFERED

Carencro High linebacker Jalen Angelle tweeted Friday that he was “extremely blessed to receive an offer from UL.”

The 6-foot-2, 218-pound Angelle received early offers from Southland Conference-members Northwestern State and Houston Baptist, and in late November he received another from NCAA Division II-member Arkansas-Monticello.

Angelle had two interceptions in last month’s I-10 Bowl Lafayette-St. Charles all-star game, and he holds an ACT score of 23.  

WEEKEND VISIT

Jaylen Whitaker — a defensive end from St. Alysius High in Vicksburg, Mississippi — tweeted that he is among those visiting UL this weekend.

Whitaker originally pledged to the staff of former UL coach Mark Hudspeth and still identifies himself as a Cajun commit.

WALKER AT SHRINE GAME

UL senior safety Tracy Walker plays Saturday in the 93rd East-West Shrine Game (2 p.m. central; NFL Network) at St. Petersburg, Florida, and he’s been turning heads at practices over the past week there.

“Dude has Metroid-like length & athleticism,” Football Gameplan’s Emory Hunt tweeted.

Walker told his hometown Brunswick (Georgia) News that he elected to play in the Shrine Game despite also receiving an invite to the Senior Bowl, another prestigious postseason all-star game for pro prospects.

LAGNIAPPE

Independence (Kansas) Community College outside linebacker Tim Faison, a former Purdue redshirt who visited UL last weekend, tweeted that he’s visiting Southern Mississippi this weekend. … Former Cajun commit Jeremiah Davis of Lufkin, Texas, tweeted that he’s visiting Stephen F. Austin this weekend. … Live Oak High kicker/punter Nathan Holliday, a former UL walk-on commit, tweeted that he’s been offered by Henderson State, an NCAA Division II program in Arkansas.