There is a new look, old feel to the Cowboys’ spring workouts.

Matt Viator is back coaching McNeese State through spring workouts for the first time in a decade. 

With him, the Cowboys have a back-to-basics look at their practices with a modern pace. It’s a combination McNeese fans hope leads the program back to its winning ways.

But make no mistake, the first two days of the spring are just the beginning.

“I like the effort we are seeing and how the players have bought in early to what the staff is trying to do,” Viator said. “It has been good with the players and their attitudes. But we have so much work to do. We are just getting started.”

As for Viator, his return to coaching in “The Hole” has a home feeling.

“It is good to get back into the process,” Viator said. “A lot around here has changed, but it also feels the same.”

There have been obvious changes to past practices, the most notable being the lack of music playing in the background. Right now, there is too much teaching going on for any distractions.

“We have to put so much in now that we need to be able to communicate easily with both the players and other coaches,” Viator said. “That is what this is all about. We want to be organized as a staff and be able to work and talk with everyone.”

The message early is clear: McNeese will work on fundamentals and the basics.

“I believe you have to work and coach the fundamentals to be good,” said Viator. “We will work on blocking, tackling, and hanging on to the football daily for part of practice. 

“We have been going back and working on the fundamentals from the start. I think that is where it all begins for us.”

There will continue to be a lot of communication between players and coaches.

“We are going to have film after every practice and go over what I like to call the good, the bad, and the ugly,” Viator said. “We will praise them when things are done right and correct them when it is not.

“The key is that they come ready to work and ready to learn. We are putting in a lot of new things, especially on offense, and so far so good.”

McNeese will be back at work Saturday afternoon. The Cowboys moved the practice to 1:10 in the stadium from the morning to avoid expected weather issues.

The Cowboys practice three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The workouts are open to the public.