Basketball: Men, women revamp staffs

Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • April 18, 2009

Robert Lee and Errol Rogers will return next season as the head coaches for the UL men’s and women’s basketball teams, but both will have new faces on their respective coaching staffs next season.

UL athletic director David Walker told The Daily Advertiser on Friday morning that men’s basketball assistants Jai Steadman and Byron Starks would not return after he received a letter of resignation from both coaches.

Rogers later told The Advertiser that women’s assistant Paula Lee, the sister of Robert Lee, would not be back in 2009-10.

Steadman, Starks and Lee have agreed to continue working for the Cajuns until their 12-month appointments expire June 30.

The news was first reported at theadvertiser.com.

"As of today, I have received letters of resignation from both Jai Steadman and Byron Starks," Walker said. "Both are effective June 30, which means they’ll stay and continue their responsibilities until that time."

Walker said he was unsure about the status of men’s assistant Rick LeBato, the godfather of rising junior forward Chris Gradnigo. The past two seasons, Gradnigo has led the team in scoring. That included last season as the Cajuns went 10-20.

Following a two-week evaluation process at the end of the season, Walker announced on March 20 via press release that both Robert Lee and Rogers would be retained for next season. One week later, Walker told The Advertiser that Lee and Rogers would get "the opportunity to hire their own staffs, and they are accountable for those decisions."

Robert Lee did not return a voice mail left on his cell phone on Friday seeking comment about his coaching staff.

Steadman, who graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1997, spent the past two years at UL. He previously served as an assistant at North Texas, McNeese State, the Continental Basketball Association’s Michigan Mayhem, TCU and Tyler Junior College.

As the head coach for the European Professional League’s Randers Cimbria of Denmark, he led the team to its first postseason berth in 2003-04.

"I’ve truly appreciated my time in Lafayette, but I’m ready to look into some new opportunities," Steadman said. "My biggest frustration is that we didn’t win a conference championship when I was here.

"But I enjoyed my time here and wish all the best in the future to the Ragin’ Cajun family."

Starks, who played guard for the Cajuns from 1990-94, joined UL’s coaching staff last summer. He spent the previous five seasons as the head boys basketball coach at Northside Christian in Crowley.

Before that, he coached the boys basketball program at Assembly Christian School from 1996-2003. He was the Louisiana Christian Schools Athletic Association Coach of the Year in 1997, ’98 and 2002.

As a player, Starks finished 10th in UL history with 1,592 career points and in a tie for 10th with 133 career steals. He averaged 13.1 points in 121 career games and was a main contributor for the Cajuns in 1992 and ’94 when the team won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and reached the NCAA Tournament. In ’94, he earned all-conference and all-conference tournament team honors.

In addition to his coaching duties, Starks is the founder and executive director of Champions International, Inc., a motivational non-profit corporation that teaches leadership skills and offers mentoring programs for young people.

"I’m very appreciative to have gotten the chance to coach at my alma mater, but I just felt that it was time to move on," Starks said. "I have three children and a family, and I want to be able to spend more time with them."

Starks said he will continue his work with Champions International, Inc., while waiting for a high school coaching job that will be the "right fit and right system."

On the women’s side, Paula Lee will leave after spending two years with the Cajuns. Lee was the head coach at Southern University in Shreveport before coming to UL. Prior to that, she was an assistant at McNeese State, Tennessee State and LSU.

"Coach Lee has decided to go pursue some other opportunities," Rogers said. "She made that decision a couple of weeks ago. She’ll continue working here until June."

Rogers added that first-year assistants Lori Morris and Courtney Simmons will be back on the sideline next season.