The 2021-22 athletic year at McNeese State was one filled with mixed moments.

There were highs that come from a rebirth as the program continues its rebuilding, but there were also growing pains.

Athletic Director Heath Schroyer likes to say “the best days are ahead” for the Cowboys, and while that remains to be seen, maybe the tough days are behind.

Here’s a look at five ups and three downs from the recent athletic year.

Ups

1. STAYING PUT — After a three-month-long courtship with the Western Athletic Conference, McNeese decided at the 11th hour to stay in the Southland, getting a lot in exchange from the league for the decision.

The Cowboys, looking for the best path to the Football Bowl Subdivision, were all but gone to the WAC until a deal came from the school to host a bevy of conference events in the near future.

The move likely saved the Southland, which was close to being, if not finished, clearly on its last legs. Now it is thriving and even has defectors returning and others having second thoughts.

2. ANOTHER NEW ERA — A type of hiring process took place in December when Schroyer went searching for the next head football coach.

There was no committee this time as Schroyer and a trusted few on his staff looked for the guy they wanted to rebuild the struggling program.

The search ended in Valdosta, Georgia, where they found Gary Goff, who was flown to Lake Charles in a private jet. When Goff’s team takes the field this fall he will be the fourth head coach in five seasons and the fifth since 2015.

3. LEGACY REOPENING — Zach Scott’s buzzer-beating 3-point shot on Jan. 15 put the finishing touches on the Cowboys’ return to their on-campus home.

Scott’s jumper knocked off Houston Baptist to help reopen the newly named facility after 17 months of rebuilding since Hurricanes Laura and Delta.

The Cowboys had been out of their home for 689 days. Not one member of the team that January day had ever played an official game in the arena.

Head coach John Aiken called it a “very long wait.”

4. REGIONAL FINALISTS — The softball team traveled all the way to Evanston, Illinois, to play in an NCAA Tournament regional final.

However, the last step to the program’s first super regional would have to wait as the Cowgirls lost for the second time in two days to top-seeded and host Northwestern.

McNeese beat the regional’s No. 2 seed Notre Dame twice in back-to-back days to reach the championship round and finish the season 40-21.

5. BASEBALL WINNER — Rallying from a 3-6 start in Southland play, the baseball team won 12 of its last 18 conference games to win the regular-season championship.

After winning their tournament bracket, the Cowboys lost in the first SLC championship series, being beaten by second-seeded Southeastern Louisiana in the third and deciding game.

At one point in Game 2 McNeese was five outs from capturing a third consecutive SLC Tournament title, finishing the year 34-23.

Downs

1. BAD FALL — For a second consecutive season the football team finished with a losing record. The bottom fell out of the 4-7 campaign when the Cowboys lost the regular-season finale to Northwestern State 24-20 at home.

It dropped McNeese’s Southland record to 3-5 and came a few weeks after the Cowboys had easily defeated the Demons in Natchitoches.

It was likely the beginning in a series of events that led to a coaching change as Frank Wilson resigned a month later to take a job on the LSU staff.

2. SLOW RECOVERY — There is a tremendous amount of fixing to be completed throughout campus and the athletic facilities.

The football press box is down but its replacement is a long way off, school officials say. The lights are coming but still not installed, and Joe Miller Ballpark has a lot of work to be done before it’s ready to host a tournament.

It’s all a reminder that the retooling of this department, that for years was stagnate, is still in progress.

3. TOUGH COURTING — Moving back into the on-campus arena could not turn the fortunes of the men’s basketball team, which finished 11-22 and managed one Division I victory outside of Southland play.

The Cowboys managed to win a conference tournament game for the first time since 2013.

Aiken has turned the roster over since the end of last season in hopes of bringing a winning team back to campus.