University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Football
Hudspeth, Mark
Mark Hudspeth
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- (337) 482-6318
- Sport Administration:
- @ULCoachHud
From his earliest days in the coaching profession through leading the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football team to unprecedented success both on the field and in the classroom, Mark Hudspeth has been a winner.
Since being named as the 26th head football coach in Ragin’ Cajuns history on Dec. 13, 2010, Hudspeth has brought tremendous energy and desire to a program that was looking to provide a passionate fanbase with a consistent winner.
Now in his seventh season at the helm, Hudspeth continues to develop the Ragin’ Cajuns into not only one of the top programs in the Sun Belt Conference, but one of the top programs in the Group of 5.
Hudspeth immediately grabbed the attention of Ragin’ Cajuns fans upon his arrival, utilizing his dynamic personality while incorporating a blueprint for success. He tirelessly toured the Acadiana area, as well as alumni groups across the country, delivering his vision of a program that would evolve from one that had two winning seasons in four decades into one that would be considered among the nation’s elite.
With a pair of victories in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Hudspeth guided the Ragin’ Cajuns to their first bowl victories in a generation, creating excitement for a fanbase that would repeatedly turn the Mercedes-Benz Superdome into their own version of Cajun Field. The top four attendance figures for the New Orleans Bowl have all been when the Ragin’ Cajuns were in town, including a record 54,728 in 2013 against Tulane.
Fans have flocked to home games during Hudspeth’s tenure, turning Cajun Field and its surrounding areas into one of the best atmospheres in the nation. In three of Hudspeth’s first five seasons, Louisiana has paced the league in average attendance while posting the three-highest single-season averages in school history. During Hudspeth’s first year in 2011, a record average of 29,171 fans (a nearly 12,000 fan increase) passed through the turnstiles at Cajun Field, with nearly 155,000 fans – the most since 1976 – passing through in 2014.
Eight of the top 15 single-game attendance marks at Cajun Field have come under Hudspeth’s watch, including a crowd of 36,170 in the 2014 opener against Southern - the third-largest crowd to watch at game at Cajun Field.
Since Hudspeth’s arrival in Lafayette, 42 players have been named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team with running back Elijah McGuire being selected as both the league’s Player and Offensive Player of the Year in 2014. Three players - Alonzo Harris (2011), McGuire (2013) and Joe Dillon (2016) – were each named as the league’s Freshman of the Year, with McGuire and Dillon each earning Freshman All-America honors.
But perhaps the biggest success under Hudspeth has come in the classroom, where the Ragin’ Cajuns have put up stellar numbers. Twice, Louisiana claimed the Sun Belt Team GPA award, posting a 2.81 team GPA during the 2014-15 academic year. During the past nine semesters, the Ragin’ Cajuns have recorded a team GPA of 2.6 or higher with 52 percent of the student-athletes on the roster earning a 3.0 GPA or above.
The Cajuns success in the classroom was evident during the Fall 2014 semester as the team posted the highest semester grade point average (2.923) in school history, and the then-sixth consecutive semester of earning a team GPA of 2.6 or better. Sixty-five student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA during the semester with six earning a perfect 4.0 and 11 earning their degree.
The NFL has also paid attention to what is happening with the Ragin’ Cajuns as numerous players have made their way onto active rosters. In 2011, Dwight Bentley (Detroit) and Ladarius Green (San Diego) were selected in the NFL Draft. In 2012, seven Cajuns seniors earned invitations to NFL preseason camps while five former Cajuns earned spots after the 2013 campaign. After concluding a stellar career with the Ragin’ Cajuns, linebacker Justin Anderson signed a free agent contract with the New York Giants and made the active roster during the 2014 season.
After finishing a career in which he set the single-season record for sacks, defensive tackle Christian Ringo was selected in the sixth round by the Green Bay Packers in the 2014 NFL Draft. After a record-setting career at UL, McGuire became the latest player to be selected when he was a sixth-round pick of the New York Jets in the 2017 NFL Draft.
The Ragin’ Cajuns have continued to send players to the NFL, most recently with Otha Peters (Seattle), Al Riles (Indianapolis), Anthony Jennings (New York Jets), Karmichael Dunbar (Pittsburgh) and Eddie Gordon (Carolina) inking free agent deals.
From the day he arrived on campus, Hudspeth began educating the Ragin’ Cajuns on how to win on a consistent level. Inheriting a team that was coming off a 3-9 record in 2010, Hudspeth provided one of the first lessons to his team when he had the offense and defense engage in an old-fashioned tug of war.
As the rope went back and forth with neither team generating enough force to win the battle, Hudspeth stopped the Cajuns and had both teams move to the same side of the rope, pointing out how much easier it is to move the rope when everyone was on the same side and fighting for the same thing.
A 24-year coaching veteran, Hudspeth carries an 90-52 career record in 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach, winning 10 or more games five times and leading his teams to a combined seven postseason appearances.
Hudspeth, 48, came to Lafayette after serving as the passing game coordinator at Mississippi State for two seasons (2009-10), helping the Bulldogs end eight years of football frustrations by making a Gator Bowl appearance in his final season.
After three years as an assistant coach at Delta State (1999-2000) and Navy (2001), Hudspeth took over as head coach at North Alabama and the winning quickly commenced. He guided the Lions to a 66-21 record in seven seasons (2002-08), winning two Gulf South Conference titles and making five appearances in the NCAA Division II Championship, advancing to the semi-finals three times (2003, 2005, 2008).
Inheriting a program that had three consecutive losing records, Hudspeth turned things around quickly, helping UNA to a 13-1 record in just his second season (2003). UNA claimed the league title with a perfect 9-0 mark and advanced to the NCAA Championship for the first time in seven years, defeating Southern Arkansas and Carson-Newman before falling at North Dakota in the national semi-finals.
For his effort, Hudspeth was named the Gulf South Coach of the Year while also being voted the NCAA Division II Region 2 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.
The winning didn’t stop there as the Lions went 11-3 and advanced to the NCAA semis in 2005, the first of four straight 10-win campaigns.
UNA went 11-1 in 2006, including 8-0 in league play to claim its second Gulf South title, with Hudspeth earning his second coach of the year award while also being selected as the NCAA Division II Region 2 Coach of the Year again. The Lions followed that up with a 10-2 record and an appearance in the NCAA Division II quarterfinals in 2007.
Hudspeth capped off his tenure at North Alabama by guiding the Lions to a 12-2 record in 2008 and making their fourth straight NCAA appearance, falling in the semifinals.
A native of Louisville, Miss., Hudspeth grew up in a town with a population of just 7,000, and quickly became one of the towns’ most notable young men, along with current NCAA head coaches Andy Kennedy (Ole Miss men’s basketball) and Matthew Mitchell (Kentucky women’s basketball).
Success came early to Hudspeth at Winston Academy as he helped the Patriots to the state title game as a senior in football 1987. He went on to earn all-county honors three times and play in the Mississippi High School All-Star game as a senior.
He lettered four seasons at Delta State, working his way up from the scout team to earning a starting job as both a safety (1990) and quarterback (1991).
After graduating from Delta State with a degree in health and education in 1992, Hudspeth began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Central Arkansas, receiving his master’s degree in secondary school administration in 1993.
While at UCA, he was part of the coaching staff that guided the squad to the 1992 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference crown.
Hudspeth earned his first full-time coaching position when he went to Nicholls State, coaching the wide receivers and tight ends in 1994 before switching to running backs in 1995.
Hudspeth returned to his high school alma mater in 1996, leading Winston Academy from a program what produced one win in the previous two seasons to a 25-1 record in his two seasons and the 1997 Mississippi Private School Association Class A state title.
He returned to the collegiate ranks in 1999, serving as offensive coordinator at Delta State for two seasons and helping lead the Statesmen to the 2000 NCAA Division II national title. He moved to Annapolis to serve as offensive coordinator at Navy in 2001 before earning his first collegiate head coaching job at North Alabama the following year.
Hudspeth is married to the former Tyla McConnell and is the father of four sons: Gunner (a student assistant for the Ragin’ Cajuns), Major, Captain and Rocky; and one daughter, Carley.
Since being named as the 26th head football coach in Ragin’ Cajuns history on Dec. 13, 2010, Hudspeth has brought tremendous energy and desire to a program that was looking to provide a passionate fanbase with a consistent winner.
Now in his seventh season at the helm, Hudspeth continues to develop the Ragin’ Cajuns into not only one of the top programs in the Sun Belt Conference, but one of the top programs in the Group of 5.
Hudspeth immediately grabbed the attention of Ragin’ Cajuns fans upon his arrival, utilizing his dynamic personality while incorporating a blueprint for success. He tirelessly toured the Acadiana area, as well as alumni groups across the country, delivering his vision of a program that would evolve from one that had two winning seasons in four decades into one that would be considered among the nation’s elite.
With a pair of victories in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Hudspeth guided the Ragin’ Cajuns to their first bowl victories in a generation, creating excitement for a fanbase that would repeatedly turn the Mercedes-Benz Superdome into their own version of Cajun Field. The top four attendance figures for the New Orleans Bowl have all been when the Ragin’ Cajuns were in town, including a record 54,728 in 2013 against Tulane.
Fans have flocked to home games during Hudspeth’s tenure, turning Cajun Field and its surrounding areas into one of the best atmospheres in the nation. In three of Hudspeth’s first five seasons, Louisiana has paced the league in average attendance while posting the three-highest single-season averages in school history. During Hudspeth’s first year in 2011, a record average of 29,171 fans (a nearly 12,000 fan increase) passed through the turnstiles at Cajun Field, with nearly 155,000 fans – the most since 1976 – passing through in 2014.
Eight of the top 15 single-game attendance marks at Cajun Field have come under Hudspeth’s watch, including a crowd of 36,170 in the 2014 opener against Southern - the third-largest crowd to watch at game at Cajun Field.
Since Hudspeth’s arrival in Lafayette, 42 players have been named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team with running back Elijah McGuire being selected as both the league’s Player and Offensive Player of the Year in 2014. Three players - Alonzo Harris (2011), McGuire (2013) and Joe Dillon (2016) – were each named as the league’s Freshman of the Year, with McGuire and Dillon each earning Freshman All-America honors.
But perhaps the biggest success under Hudspeth has come in the classroom, where the Ragin’ Cajuns have put up stellar numbers. Twice, Louisiana claimed the Sun Belt Team GPA award, posting a 2.81 team GPA during the 2014-15 academic year. During the past nine semesters, the Ragin’ Cajuns have recorded a team GPA of 2.6 or higher with 52 percent of the student-athletes on the roster earning a 3.0 GPA or above.
The Cajuns success in the classroom was evident during the Fall 2014 semester as the team posted the highest semester grade point average (2.923) in school history, and the then-sixth consecutive semester of earning a team GPA of 2.6 or better. Sixty-five student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA during the semester with six earning a perfect 4.0 and 11 earning their degree.
The NFL has also paid attention to what is happening with the Ragin’ Cajuns as numerous players have made their way onto active rosters. In 2011, Dwight Bentley (Detroit) and Ladarius Green (San Diego) were selected in the NFL Draft. In 2012, seven Cajuns seniors earned invitations to NFL preseason camps while five former Cajuns earned spots after the 2013 campaign. After concluding a stellar career with the Ragin’ Cajuns, linebacker Justin Anderson signed a free agent contract with the New York Giants and made the active roster during the 2014 season.
After finishing a career in which he set the single-season record for sacks, defensive tackle Christian Ringo was selected in the sixth round by the Green Bay Packers in the 2014 NFL Draft. After a record-setting career at UL, McGuire became the latest player to be selected when he was a sixth-round pick of the New York Jets in the 2017 NFL Draft.
The Ragin’ Cajuns have continued to send players to the NFL, most recently with Otha Peters (Seattle), Al Riles (Indianapolis), Anthony Jennings (New York Jets), Karmichael Dunbar (Pittsburgh) and Eddie Gordon (Carolina) inking free agent deals.
From the day he arrived on campus, Hudspeth began educating the Ragin’ Cajuns on how to win on a consistent level. Inheriting a team that was coming off a 3-9 record in 2010, Hudspeth provided one of the first lessons to his team when he had the offense and defense engage in an old-fashioned tug of war.
As the rope went back and forth with neither team generating enough force to win the battle, Hudspeth stopped the Cajuns and had both teams move to the same side of the rope, pointing out how much easier it is to move the rope when everyone was on the same side and fighting for the same thing.
A 24-year coaching veteran, Hudspeth carries an 90-52 career record in 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach, winning 10 or more games five times and leading his teams to a combined seven postseason appearances.
Hudspeth, 48, came to Lafayette after serving as the passing game coordinator at Mississippi State for two seasons (2009-10), helping the Bulldogs end eight years of football frustrations by making a Gator Bowl appearance in his final season.
After three years as an assistant coach at Delta State (1999-2000) and Navy (2001), Hudspeth took over as head coach at North Alabama and the winning quickly commenced. He guided the Lions to a 66-21 record in seven seasons (2002-08), winning two Gulf South Conference titles and making five appearances in the NCAA Division II Championship, advancing to the semi-finals three times (2003, 2005, 2008).
Inheriting a program that had three consecutive losing records, Hudspeth turned things around quickly, helping UNA to a 13-1 record in just his second season (2003). UNA claimed the league title with a perfect 9-0 mark and advanced to the NCAA Championship for the first time in seven years, defeating Southern Arkansas and Carson-Newman before falling at North Dakota in the national semi-finals.
For his effort, Hudspeth was named the Gulf South Coach of the Year while also being voted the NCAA Division II Region 2 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.
The winning didn’t stop there as the Lions went 11-3 and advanced to the NCAA semis in 2005, the first of four straight 10-win campaigns.
UNA went 11-1 in 2006, including 8-0 in league play to claim its second Gulf South title, with Hudspeth earning his second coach of the year award while also being selected as the NCAA Division II Region 2 Coach of the Year again. The Lions followed that up with a 10-2 record and an appearance in the NCAA Division II quarterfinals in 2007.
Hudspeth capped off his tenure at North Alabama by guiding the Lions to a 12-2 record in 2008 and making their fourth straight NCAA appearance, falling in the semifinals.
A native of Louisville, Miss., Hudspeth grew up in a town with a population of just 7,000, and quickly became one of the towns’ most notable young men, along with current NCAA head coaches Andy Kennedy (Ole Miss men’s basketball) and Matthew Mitchell (Kentucky women’s basketball).
Success came early to Hudspeth at Winston Academy as he helped the Patriots to the state title game as a senior in football 1987. He went on to earn all-county honors three times and play in the Mississippi High School All-Star game as a senior.
He lettered four seasons at Delta State, working his way up from the scout team to earning a starting job as both a safety (1990) and quarterback (1991).
After graduating from Delta State with a degree in health and education in 1992, Hudspeth began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Central Arkansas, receiving his master’s degree in secondary school administration in 1993.
While at UCA, he was part of the coaching staff that guided the squad to the 1992 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference crown.
Hudspeth earned his first full-time coaching position when he went to Nicholls State, coaching the wide receivers and tight ends in 1994 before switching to running backs in 1995.
Hudspeth returned to his high school alma mater in 1996, leading Winston Academy from a program what produced one win in the previous two seasons to a 25-1 record in his two seasons and the 1997 Mississippi Private School Association Class A state title.
He returned to the collegiate ranks in 1999, serving as offensive coordinator at Delta State for two seasons and helping lead the Statesmen to the 2000 NCAA Division II national title. He moved to Annapolis to serve as offensive coordinator at Navy in 2001 before earning his first collegiate head coaching job at North Alabama the following year.
Hudspeth is married to the former Tyla McConnell and is the father of four sons: Gunner (a student assistant for the Ragin’ Cajuns), Major, Captain and Rocky; and one daughter, Carley.
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