With one comment Gary Goff won Media Day for Cowboy fans.

The first-year McNeese State head coach lowered the blood pressure of Poke fans everywhere Wednesday inside L’Auberge Casino and Resort.

Goff, the fourth Cowboy head coach in the last eight seasons, made sure everybody gathered for the Southland Conference’s football stage show knew that he was here to stay.

“You want stability, I’m going to be here for the long haul,” said Goff. “The people here have a true passion for McNeese Football. I’m excited to get back into The Hole and playing games under the lights.”

Coming off the program’s first back-to-back losing seasons in 32 years, that was great news to fan base which is desperately looking for somebody to lead a rebuild.

“There is a lot of work still to do, and there are going to be some rainy days, but I’m excited about being here and where this program can go,” said Goff.

Rainy days is nothing new to Cowboy faithful. They have been drenched in mediocrity for more than a few seasons now.

It has been 20 years since the Cowboys won a playoff game and seven since they even made the postseason. The 10-game playoff losing streak has sent the once elite program back to the middle of the Southland pack.

McNeese is picked for fourth in the league’s preseason poll, behind the likes of Southeastern, Incarnate Word and Nicholls. All of those teams are relative newcomers to the SLC title chase.

Goff, however, brings a new attitude on campus, as the program moves on from the days of acting like a victim in the face of Hurricane Laura to that of aggressor.

“Being consistent every day and working every day,” is how defensive lineman CJ Semien put it. “We are accountable to each other.”

Goff said there are expected to be around 50 newcomers on the roster when camp opens August 3.

Fifteen of those are transfers from the portal who will need to contribute right away.

“When I got here I was told we needed some more pieces to the puzzle,” Goff said. “We have made great strides in doing that since spring.”

McNeese even added a kicker, which seemed to be the fans’ biggest concerns.

“I heard we needed a kicker and quarterback,” Goff said. “I heard that a lot.”

Goff has added two quarterbacks from the Football Bowl Subdivision level.

Knox Kadum, who has been slowed of late by an injury, and Cam Ransom join Walker Wood in the quarterback room and are expected to battle for the starting job.

Wood is a Kentucky transfer himself who was moved to wide recover last season. Meanwhile Kadum comes from Virginia Tech and Ransom transfers in from Georgia Southern.

The three give the Cowboys a trio of FBS QBs on the roster that only a year ago had just two quarterbacks overall.

“It will come down to who can protect the football the best and make plays down the field,” Goff said.

Goff has also been able to upgrade the team’s speed as well, adding playmakers to the receiver room.

Most importantly the coach is just happy to be getting back on the field and playing night games.

For the first time since 2013 the Cowboys will play home games at 7 p.m. The last two seasons McNeese has been forced to have noon kickoffs.

“That sun at noon was tough,” said sophomore receiver Mason Pierce. “It’s a lot better at night.”

Semien is also looking forward to night games.

“The atmosphere for a night game is much different,” said Semien. “It is much more exciting.”

One thing Goff has promised from the start, the Cowboys will be exciting. Now Poke fans know he’s here from a least a little while.