Former Baseball: Terrific tandem – Lafayette High School’s Coaches Cade Methvin and Casey Delhomme

Bruce Brown, Daily Advertiser, March 7, 2012

"Coach, we need a time out."

"No, let them play through it."

Later "¦

"Coach, how about a time out?"

"No, they’ll battle through it."

Still later, with game in hand "¦

"Coach, just call one time out."

Cade Methvin and Casey Delhomme may not always agree, but they always seem to agree on the right path to follow for the Lafayette High Lady Lions.

Methvin is the head coach of the squad, which will carry a perfect 34-0 record as the No.1 seed into Friday’s LHSAA Class 5A state championship game against No. 2, 36-0 Southwood at the Top 28 in Ruston.

Delhomme took LHS to the 2009 title game, losing to Chapelle, with Methvin as his assistant. The two switched positions a year ago, with the Lady Lions falling to Southwood in the quarterfinals and finishing 28-4 under Methvin.

The Lady Lions are back in the finals this year, benefitting from a decade-long friendship between their coaches.

Delhomme is the one asking for the time outs in the above exchange, capped during a quarterfinal win over West Monroe. He related the story with a laugh befitting their easy relationship.

"Before we played Ouachita in the semifinals, I said, ‘Now, Coach, you know you’ve got five time outs, right?’ and we laughed about it," Delhomme said.

Their partnership began 11 years ago at North Vermilion, when Methvin joined Delhomme’s boys basketball staff, and has grown closer with time.

"I was Casey’s assistant for six years there," Methvin said. "Then he left for Lafayette High and I was head coach for a year. We lost to West St. Mary in the first round. The following year I joined him here as his assistant, and did that for five years.

"Casey is a little more fiery than I am, and a little more defensive oriented. I concentrate more on offense, and keeping the players relaxed. There are times when he tells me I need to get on them.

"We can flip-flop on either situation (offense or defense), and it works well. There are things I see that he doesn’t, and vice versa, so nothing is missed and the kids are getting everything they need."

Their easy chemistry has produced a unified message.

"As an assistant coach, Cade showed the most loyalty, and as a head coach I knew how valuable that was," Delhomme said. "He also had that enthusiasm and ability to relate to the players.

"The No. 1 thing I know, after being a head coach for 16 years, is that it’s his show now. He made my life easy with his loyalty, and I appreciated it."

"In a lot of situations, the assistant coach is head coach of something else, or doesn’t have the same ambition as the head coach," Methvin said. "They’ve got other things to worry about.

"What works is when their name’s not on it, but they do everything you do. They’re looking at film at 12 o’clock at night, or are willing to drive across the state to get film, or they’re there with you in the office after practice, asking how we can get better.

"Sometimes we’re both hard-headed. Sometimes when he was head coach he didn’t take my advice, but it was his show."

"In the heat of battle, as a coach, you may hear something and not have it register," Delhomme said. "We challenge each other. We tell each other anything and everything. One part of our friendship and professional relationship is that nothing is left unsaid.

"We don’t sugarcoat anything. You don’t want a ‘yes’ man. You want someone to be honest, and that goes both ways. We say it, and it’s over with that moment. It’s what makes us unique."

Delhomme has also grown to appreciate Methvin’s skill with his players.

"He does a great job managing X’s and O’s," Delhomme said. "But, also, it’s different coaching girls. I was a little more rigid with them. He handles them, keeps them happy, at ease, so they’re calm and relaxed, especially at playoff time. That’s a huge factor.

"Our girls are never rattled. They stay calm. Our head coach exudes that."

The coaching switch was prompted by the arrival of Casey and Tracy Delhomme’s son Cole, now 5, and the desire for more time with a family now expecting again in May.

"We’re fortunate to have children at this time in our lives," Delhomme said. "That was a major reason to take a step back."

Stepping forward was Methvin. He and wife Tiffeny have two dogs but no children yet, so the move made sense. It has also produced spectacular results.

"This has been a special ride," Delhomme said. "Nobody deserves this more than he does. I’m so happy for him."

"I would love for it to go one more step, to win state and finish undefeated," Methvin said.

Athletic Network Footnote:

Please click here for the AN profile of Cade Methvin, baseball player 1995-99 and graduate assistant 2000.