Russ Faulkinberrry (2022) - Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame

Russ Faulkinberrry

Induction:
2022

Served as head football coach for 10 seasons, compiling an overall record of 66-63-2, at the time the most career victories of any Cajun coach and still the most career wins in school history (Nelson Stokley finished with 62 career wins at the end of his career in 1998) … His teams won three Gulf States Conference championships in 1965, 1968 and 1970, with the 1970 team invited to play in the Grantland Rice Bowl in Baton Rouge (at the time, one of the premier College Division bowls in the country) after compiling a 9-2 regular-season record … That mark was the best in the history of USL football at the time, and included a seven-game win streak and its only losses during the regular season were against Southern Mississippi and Tampa … In that second-ever bowl appearance, his team lost to highly-regarded Tennessee State 26-25, trailing 14-0 early but taking a 25-14 lead in the second half before Tennessee State scored twice in a 2:50 span in the fourth quarter … Named both GSC and Louisiana Coach of the Year in 1970 … Oversaw the program’s transition from the Gulf States Conference to the Southland Conference in 1971, and its move into Cajun Field to start the 1971 season … Team beat Santa Clara 21-0 in the first game in the stadium that is still the home for UL football … Also oversaw the change in mascots from Bulldogs to Ragin’ Cajuns in the early 1960’s … Also named assistant athletic director in 1963 and served in that role until his final season in 1973 … Named as coach of the Daily Advertiser’s Quarter-Century team (1950-75) and selected to the All-American Coach organization’s Hall of Fame in 2000 … Along with its 9-3 record (including the bowl game) in 1970, that squad included six future medical doctors and three future judges … Also served for one year as an assistant coach for the Jacksonville Sharks of the World Football League … After 15 years of working in the medical field as an administrator for hospital drug and alcohol programs, he served as a private football coach for several notable individual players including Jake Delhomme and Brandon Stokley, both of whom went on to lengthy and successful NFL careers.