Veteran DC Mike Lucas takes over Demons’ defense, completes Laird’s NSU staff

NATCHITOCHES – Mike Lucas, whose 23 years coaching football in the Southland Conference include an impressive 2014 season as defensive coordinator at Northwestern State, is back in the same role with the Demons under new head coach Brad Laird.

Lucas’ hiring as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, which completes Laird’s coaching staff, was announced Monday. It is subject to the approval of the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System, which includes Northwestern.

The move gives the Demons former head coaches as the offensive and defensive coordinators. Brad Smiley, NSU’s offensive coordinator, had a record-shattering, championship-filled 11 seasons as head coach at Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College before being Laird’s first hire Nov. 27.

For the past three years, the last two as defensive coordinator, Lucas was at UL Lafayette. He previously was head coach at Southeastern Louisiana from 2007-11, winning Louisiana Sports Writers Association state Coach of the Year honors in 2009, after two seasons as the Lions’ defensive coordinator.

He earned a reputation as a dynamic DC under iconic Sam Houston State coach Ron Randleman from 1987-2001 with the Bearkats. His defenses ranked in the top 15 in FCS statistics in 11 seasons, leading the Southland Conference in defense five times. Among SHSU records set under Lucas were 52 sacks in 2001 and 13.2 points per game in 1991.

“It’s exciting to get Coach Lucas on board. It’s huge for me to have a man who has 30-plus years in coaching at the college level and had success as a head coach in the Southland Conference,” said Laird. “He’s been around a lot of wins in our conference as a defensive coordinator here and at Sam Houston, and at Southeastern as an assistant and then head coach. The foundation he built at Southeastern was very important to their success in the last few years.”