Schroyer’s goals coming to life

 

In the summer of 2018 Heath Schroyer sat for an interview in his new, but not yet completed, basketball home.

The freshly minted McNeese State men’s head coach took questions for 30 minutes from the top of what is now the Legacy Center. Down below, workers scurried about hammering away.

Schroyer looked more like a construction foreman than a coach. He was wearing a hard hat while he passionately discussed what he envisioned the future of Cowboy basketball could become.

Looking back now, it seems quite fitting.

“There’s so much work to do, but that’s the great thing,” Schroyer said at the time. “That’s what makes this job great; there is so much potential here. We get to build it from scratch.”

Where others saw debris, Schroyer saw hope.

It’s been a wild ride since that day. The arena was built and then rebuilt. 

Schroyer has gone from basketball coach to athletic director, leading a basketball revolution and a complete resurgence of the entire program.

As the Southland Conference Tournament continues this week and his Cowboys rise as a brand among Mid-Majors, even the old coach seems surprised.

“I thought this facility and this program could make (the athletic director role) a top two or three job in the league,” Schroyer said. “I wanted to make McNeese basketball relevant. Did I envision all of this? No way.”

Like the Southland conference itself, McNeese has experienced hardship. But both are on the rise, especially in basketball. Despite it all, Schroyer believed basketball could provide a better future for athletics and the school itself. 

The problems became obvious to him when he changed jobs.

“When I got a chance to really dive into the department’s finances, I saw a huge opportunity that we were missing in men’s basketball,” Schroyer said. “Football and men’s basketball are the only two revenue generators for most universities, especially at McNeese. I knew we needed to invest in a product that could actually have a significant return on the investment.

“That’s exactly what happened.”

He did have some convincing to do.

“It was a different world five years ago when Heath had this idea,” said McNeese President Dr. Wade Rousse. “It was our intention to use athletics to make McNeese better. It was always about helping get that high school student from Jennings to look at us and help change lives.”

The basketball team and this tournament have given McNeese the exposure and platform it was seeking. And those positive changes have come.

“I hope people understand what a big deal this is,” said Schroyer. “Nobody else in the country is in this spot, hosting a tournament for the next five years. At our level, nothing can bring this kind of return on your investment like a winning men’s basketball program can. It’s a great opportunity to showcase our community, university and program.”

And the league.

“Heath is the foundation of all this,” said Southland Commissioner Chris Grant. “Our league is on the rise. Other schools have come here, seen this facility and the tournament, and want to be a part of it.

“East Texas A&M would not be building their new arena without this. It started here.”

Schroyer may not have been behind the initial building of the Legacy Center, but he was the one responsible for bringing the tournament to town. It’s one of the big reasons Will Wade came to McNeese. 

“To have to win just two games on your home court to make the NCAA Tournament is the best path in the country,” Wade has said. “No other place can you do that but here.”

Things did not start off great for Schroyer at McNeese. One week into his basketball coaching tenure, he wanted to walk away. The mess at McNeese was bigger than he was first told it was.

“I was misled about how things were,” Schroyer said. 

McNeese will host the conference for the next five years. This advantage for the Cowboys sometimes makes others uncomfortable. That doesn’t seem to bother Schroyer, who doesn’t mind wearing the black hat if it works best for his school.

“I love it,” said Schroyer. “I respect everyone in the league, but if everyone loves you, you’re not doing your job.”

Something works. He has earned his way onto the national stage on a few committees overseeing basketball and athletics. Having Schroyer in those positions gives McNeese and the league more exposure.

Having come through the coaching ranks, Schroyer believes he understands both the needs of his staff and what it takes to win. He also believes there are several people who might not have taken him seriously to start.

“My biggest frustration is people just look at me and think I’m a ball coach pretending to be an A.D.,” Schroyer said. “That was never my feeling. 

“When I came here, I fell in love with the community, and I wanted to give back. I wanted to make an impact. That’s important to me.”

There have been more than a few bumps in the road Schroyer has been trying to pave. However, when you go back to where it all started for him, the view from where we are is pretty smooth.