Bobby Keasler, the Hall of Fame coach who led McNeese State University’s football team for nine seasons, passed away on Tuesday, May 12, at the age of 80. His death was confirmed by family members and reported by local media.
Hired ahead of the 1990 campaign, Keasler quickly turned the Cowboys into a perennial contender, compiling a career record of 78‑34‑2 and becoming the school’s all‑time winningest coach. Under his guidance the program captured four Southland Conference titles between 1991 and 1997, establishing a dynasty that resonated throughout the region.
A championship era and a near‑miss
The 1995 squad stood out as the pinnacle of his tenure, finishing the regular season undefeated and earning the No. 1 national ranking in the FCS poll. Two years later the Cowboys advanced to the NCAA Division I‑AA championship game, where they fell narrowly to Youngstown State, a loss that only deepened the program’s reputation for resilience.
Keasler’s contributions earned him five Southland Conference Coach of the Year awards and three Louisiana Coach of the Year honors. He was inducted into the McNeese Hall of Fame in 2006 and later received a place in the Southland Conference Hall of Honor in 2014, where he was also named the conference’s 1990s Coach of the Decade.
After stepping down from McNeese, Keasler spent three years as head coach at the University of Louisiana at Monroe before retiring from full‑time coaching. His influence endures through the many players he mentored, 53 of whom earned first‑team All‑Southland honors and 16 received All‑America recognition.