After three years of drama, intrigue, and far too many losses, McNeese State fired Gary Goff Monday morning as its head football coach.

Athletic Director Heath Schroyer informed Goff of his decision in a meeting just 36 hours after the season ended disastrously Saturday night.

McNeese lost to Lamar 26-24 in a fight-filled game that ended with the Cardinals scoring on a 20-yard pass on an untimed down. The rivalry game was filled with personal fouls, punches, and mistakes.

It put a cap on a 6-6 season that saw the Cowboys improve from a historic bad 1-10 campaign in 2023 when the only victory came by forfeit. However, the improvement was not enough to save Goff.

While at McNeese, Goff posted an 10-23 record. He still had one year left on his contract worth $265,000. Sources have told the American Press that donors have stepped up to pay the buyout.

“After evaluating our football program I felt a change in leadership was necessary,” Schroyer said. “I appreciate Coach Goff’s time at McNeese. During his three years with the program, he addressed many inherited, off-field issues.

“He is a good coach, and I wish him nothing but success moving forward.”

McNeese also parted ways with offensive coordinator Adam Neugebauer, who was given full-time play-calling duties this season, and offensive line coach Ryan Allgood.

Defensive coordinator Tony Pecoraro has been named the interim head coach while Schroyer begins a national search for Goff’s permanent replacement.

All other McNeese coaches were given the opportunity to stay on staff until the new coach is named, including Chief of Staff Aaron Ingram, who is the head of recruiting. With the first national signing day just over a week away, this is a key time in the recruiting process.

Goff becomes the fourth-straight McNeese head coach not to last more than three seasons after a decade-long run of success by Matt Viator which ended in 2015.

After that, the program was hit with a series of issues, including being put on academic probation for three seasons by the NCAA. There were also the dual hurricanes that wiped out facilities in 2020 and COVID-19.

No question Goff inherited a mess, and while things got better, there were also new issues as the game changed. There was no NIL and the transfer portal was in its infancy when he came to Lake Charles.

Goff was given a three-year contract with two option years to revive the Cowboys after taking Valdosta State to the Division II national championship game in 2021. It was the biggest deal in McNeese athletic history, surpassed recently by men’s basketball coach Will Wade’s contract.

After leading the Cowboys to a 4-7 season in 2022, Goff’s first option year was picked up. When asked earlier this season if the school was willing to extend Goff a fifth season, Schroyer said he wanted to see how the season played out.

During the year, the Cowboys were hit with an abundant number of personal foul penalties that may have led, as much as anything, to Goff’s dismissal. Ultimately, finishing 3-5 and tied for fifth in the SLC was not enough to overcome any external issues in the program.

“With the investment we have made in our football program and facilities over the past few years, we will not accept nor celebrate mediocrity,” the statement added. “McNeese is a special place with a rich tradition. We have one of the best, if not the best, fan bases in FCS football.

“We should be competing for Southland Conference championships and be nationally relevant. I will find a coach who not only accepts that standard but embraces it.”

Schroyer is expected to be looking for a coach with ties to the McNeese program this time around. There are several possibilities with names such as Slade Nagle, Kerry Joseph, and Tim Leger likely at the top of the list.

And don’t be surprised if Viator himself isn’t involved in the process in some way, though it would be unlikely he would come back for the top job.

Schroyer has said he would like to make the decision quickly to keep recruiting interest high in the Cowboys.