University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns Hire Bustle to Lead Football Program
12/13/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2001
ATHLETIC
DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES BUSTLE AS HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
LAFAYETTE –Louisiana-Lafayette
Director of Athletics Nelson Schexnayder announced the hiring of Virginia Tech
offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle
on Thursday as the school's 19th person to guide the Ragin' Cajun
football team.
Bustle's hiring is pending approval
from the University of Louisiana Board of Trustees. He is replacing former head
coach Jerry Baldwin, who spent three years as the program's top man.
The 48-year old Summerville, S.C.,
native brings one of the top offensive minds in college football. For the past
seven seasons (eight overall), he has served as the offensive coordinator and
quarterbacks coach at Virginia Tech.
While in Blacksburg, Bustle
developed some of the finest quarterbacks the college football world has seen
in recent years. Included in the list are NFL players Jim Druckenmiller and Michael Vick.
Vick was the first pick in the 2001 NFL Draft.
The offense, meanwhile, put up some
of the most exciting numbers around. The 1999 Hokies averaged a national-best
41.4 points per game, as Virginia Tech advanced to the national championship
game.
In Bustle's first seven seasons as
offensive coordinator, the Hokies fielded seven of the eight highest-scoring
teams in school history. Most importantly, the team posted a 67-17 record and
won three BIG EAST Conference Championships. The Hokies have been to a bowl
game every year he has served as the offensive coordinator.
It is that winning tradition that
got Schexnayder's attention very quickly.
"We are extremely happy to
have someone of Rickey's enthusiasm and experience here," Schexnayder
said. "He's worked with some great football teams. I am deeply
appreciative of the efforts of Dr. (Ray) Authement, which allowed us to hire a
coach of Rickey's background, qualifications and experience. The future of UL
football is certainly a bright one."
Bustle will continue his offensive
coordinator duties at Virginia Tech through the Hokies' Jan. 1 Gator Bowl
matchup with Florida State.
Meanwhile, Bustle will get to focus
his attention on building a Louisiana-Lafayette football program that just
completed its first season in the Sun Belt Conference. While the school has
only tallied nine wins in the last five years, Bustle knows that the new
affiliation with the conference -- as well as the school's commitment to a
strong football program -- will turn that stat around.
"This is just a great
opportunity for a first-year head football coach," said the amiable
Bustle. "I promised my wife that I wouldn't just take any job just to be a
head coach. This football program has a lot of promise, especially being in the
Sun Belt Conference and having a bowl tie-in."
Bustle has spent all but one season
at Virginia Tech since 1987. In 1994, he was the offensive coordinator and
quarterbacks coach at South Carolina. From '87-92, though, he was the
quarterbacks and receivers coach at Virginia Tech before moving to the
offensive coordinator-quarterback coaching slot in '93.
His ties to Louisiana include a
three-year stint at Northeast Louisiana (now UL Monroe) from 1984-86, where he
started as the running backs coach for two seasons before becoming the
offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He has also had coaching stints
at East Carolina (1980-82) and the old USFL's Arizona Wranglers in 1983. He
broke into the full-time coaching ranks as the defensive coordinator at
Garnder-Webb in 1979.
Bustle is a 1976 graduate of
Clemson University, where he received a degree in parks and recreation
administration. He was a three-year letter winner as a wide receiver for the
Tigers from 1974-76.
Bustle is married to the former
Lynn Sanders of Charleston, S.C., who received her PhD., in curriculum and
instruction from Virginia Tech in December 1997. They have a son, Brad.
-Ragin' Cajuns-
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