Interview: Chuter, Salmen looking forward to more improvement in 2020

When Eric Chuter took over as head football coach at Salmen, he knew he was facing a huge challenge.

Chuter, who served as an assistant for 13 years under previous head coach Jerry Leonard, was promoted to head coach in 2018.

Chuter was a captain as a star offensive lineman on the Archbishop Shaw state championship team in 1987 of Hank Tierney and he served as a head coach previously at Archbishop Hannan.

Inheriting a rebuilding job, Salmen went 1-9 in 2018.

After starting 3-3, The Spartans dropped their last five games to finish 3-8 in 2019, falling to Carencro in the opening round of the Class 4A state playoffs.

These have not been the best of times for Salmen football but Chuter has seen Salmen at its best as well.

He was an assistant under Bill Stubbs in 1998. Under Stubbs, the Spartans won 4A state championships in 1994, 1995 and 2000. In 2008 and 2009, Chuter was part of three semifinal teams as an assistant coach.

Now, Chuter embarks on trying to build Salmen back to being a serious championship contender.

Speaking on All Access on 106.1 FM Monday night, Chuter said that Tierney prophesized that he would become a head coach one day.

“Coach Hank was the first guy who told me I was going to be a football coach,” Chuter said. “He did it to me when I was like 15 years old. He looked at me one day, we were talking protections or something and he told me I would be a coach one day. I was like, ‘yeah, right, whatever.’ He was right. Here we are 28 years later and I’m still doing this.”

Chuter has learned much through being part of winning and losing at Salmen.

“No doubt about it,” Chuter said. “This whole time here, what it has taught me is to appreciate things more. As a younger coach, you were worried about everything. Our young men had a great day today. I came home and I am enjoying what our young men were able to accomplish. It’s taught me to be more patient. It can easily be taken away from you.”

Chuter knew he was taking over a rebuilding situation in 2018.

“Absolutely,” Chuter said. “I knew it going in and Jerry Leonard knew it going in. I think my first year taking over, it was awesome to have him there as an assistant principal that I could lean on a few times and help me through a tough year. We were so close that first year to a few more victories. It comes down to those five plays that you have to make in the course of a game. We didn’t make those plays.”

The Spartans improved a bit in 2019.

“The team we had last year reminds me so much of the 2006 team,” Chuter said. “The 2005 team, the (Hurricane) Katrina team was winless but those kids fought hard. They made it back after Katrina. We had a first round playoff game against Bastrop and then the next year, we won three games and we had to fight to win those games.”

Then came 2007.

“We had a breakout year, going 6-4 and went to Neville and lost a tight playoff game (13-7). Then, the 2008 and 2009 teams, we were off to the races, those semifinal years that we were a part of.”

The attitude and experience of the 2020 Spartans are a real plus.

“These kids have each other’s backs, they don’t complain, they are really a pleasure to coach,” Chuter said. “We have seven returning starters on offense and five are seniors. Those seniors were freshmen in our last playoff run. They remember what it is like. It’s really paying off. On defense, we have five returning starters and five seniors overall starting on defense.”

District 8-4A is small, with just four teams, but it is a good league.

“It’s turned into a solid district, it really has,” Chuter said. “Lakeshore obviously the last few years has enjoyed some of the success we’ve had in the past. Franklinton, regardless of their record, the Salmen-Franklinton rivalry is a good one and there are a lot of the same coaches on each side. Pearl River, their program has really come along in the last few years. It’s really going to be a challenge.”

The 2020 Salmen schedule is again a very tough one, opening with Hammond and Northshore before facing Belle Chasse, Kenner Discovery, Loranger, West St. John and McDonogh 35 before entering district play.

“We are going to have to be ready,” Chuter said. “At some point, the state will tell us we can play a football game. We will have to be firing on all cylinders. It’s very important for this team to start off well against Hammond. Northshore is a cross-town rivalry. Throw the records out. Belle Chasse is a solid team. Defending the option is a tough draw.

Kenner Discovery, Coach PJ Sprunk has done a phenomenal job. Loranger is always good and then you get West St. John and McDonogh 35. Who the heck made this schedule? Unfortunately, it was me.”

With more experience and with better players, the Spartans should improve in 2020 under the optimistic, enthusiastic, ever changing approach of Chuter.

“We’ve got to evolve or die,” Chuter said. “We have to adapt our schemes to our personnel. Now, we just wait for the opportunity to play. I am really looking forward to it.”