2011-12 BULLDOG BASKETBALL
UNIVERSITY LA TECH
LOUISIANA TECH fourth conference championship of the decade. The Bulldogs also played in the postseason in the NIT, the seventh year in a row that Louisiana Tech played after the regular season. All in all, the 1980’s produced eight 20-win seasons, seven post season appearances, four conference championships and two AllAmericans. Seven of the 20-win seasons were consecutive as were all seven of the postseason appearances. During the decade of the 80’s, 16 players made the all-conference team, with Malone, White and Willie Simmons all earning conference Player of the Year awards. Malone and Reggie Gibbs picked up Newcomer of the Year awards during the decade. Coach Russo earned three Coach of the Year honors, Coach Eagles gathered two and Coach Loyd received one during that period.
1990-2000
Records: 145-139 (.511) Coaches: Jerry Loyd (1990-94); Jim Wooldridge (1994-98); Keith Richard (1998-00) Conference Affiliation (Years)/Titles: America South Conference (199091)/1990-91; Sun Belt Conference (1991-00)/1991-92,1998-99
All- American
Karl Malone
1982-83 Sporting News Honorable Mention 1983-84 Sporting News Honorable Mention 1984-85 NABC 2nd Team AP Honorable Mention Sporting News Honorable Mention
Louisiana Tech continued its dominance in the early 1990’s by going 21-10 and capturing the America South Tournament Championship during the 1990-91 season. The Bulldogs again advanced to the NCAA Tournament, the sixth time in school history. The 1991-92 season marked a new conference for the Bulldogs as Louisiana Tech became a member of the Sun Belt Conference. Tech started the league on a good note by winning the league title with a 23-8 record, their ninth consecutive 20-win season. The NIT awaited the team that season to bring their postseason appearances to nine straight years as well. The Bulldogs also gathered their 900th win with a 76-62 victory over Jackson State that season. But the string of consecutive 20-win season and postseason appearances would end the next season as the Bulldogs suffered their biggest decline, dropping to a 7-21 record. The 1993-94 season would be the lowest point in the decline as Tech finished the year 2-25, the lowest win total in school history. In 1994, Coach Jim Wooldridge became Louisiana Tech’s 14th head coach and immediately began to reconstruct the program. In his first season, Wooldridge guided the Bulldogs to the biggest turnaround in school history, picking up a 14-13 record, a 12-game improvement over the previous season. For the next few years under Wooldridge’s guidance, Louisiana Tech became competitive again. During the 1996-97 season, the Bulldogs played in the SBC Tournament final on ESPN, falling just short with a one point loss. In 1998, Louisiana Tech named Coach Keith Richard as the school’s 15th head coach. Richard immediately guided the Bulldogs back to another Sun Belt Championship with a 19-9 record, the first league title since the 199192 season. The 1999-2000 season would go a step further as Louisiana Tech collected its 16th 20-win season with a 21-8 record. The season would also be monumental because the Bulldogs picked up the program’s 1000th victory with a 85-62 win over Nicholls State. Twelve Bulldogs earned all-conference honors during the decade with Ron Ellis and Gerrod Henderson picking up Player of the Year awards. Derek Smith and Antonio Meeking received Freshman of the Year awards while Ellis and Craig Jackson picked up Newcomer of the Year honors. Coach Richard earned Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year honors during the 1998-99 season.
2000-10
Records: 96-85 (.570) Coaches: Keith Richard (2000-07); Kerry Rupp (2007-present) Conference Affiliation (Years)/Titles: Sun Belt Conference (2000-01); Western Athletic Conference (2001-present)
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