Bobby Keasler, a former McNeese State and Louisiana-Monroe football coach known for Southland titles and an FCS title appearance, has died at 80.
LAKE CHARLES, La. — Bobby Keasler’s influence on Louisiana college football endured long after he stepped away from the sidelines, and now the former coach has died at 80.
Keasler, a longtime figure in the Southland Conference, died Tuesday night in Lake Charles, according to a statement from McNeese State spokesman Matthew Bonnette. Keasler had retired in the city about two decades ago.
His coaching résumé is closely tied to McNeese State, where he earned his first college head coaching job in 1990.. Over his nine seasons with the Cowboys. he produced a record of 78-34-2. led teams to Southland Conference championships. and built a run that put the program repeatedly in the conversation during the Football Championship Subdivision era.
Under Keasler, McNeese won Southland titles in 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1997. The Cowboys also made seven FCS playoff appearances during that span, reflecting a consistency that helped define the program’s profile in the conference.
One of Keasler’s most notable seasons came in 1995. His team went undefeated in the regular season and reached a No. 1 national ranking in FCS before ending its run in the national semifinals, where it lost its only game of the year to Marshall.
In 1997, Keasler again guided McNeese to the national stage, with the team appearing in the FCS national title game. That season ended with a loss to Youngstown State.
After nearly a decade at McNeese, Keasler’s career moved to Division I FBS, when he was hired in 1999 to coach Louisiana-Monroe. It was a pivotal moment for the Warhawks, which were in their sixth season as a Division I program at the FBS level.
Keasler’s tenure at Louisiana-Monroe proved challenging. The report stated he went 8-28 across the 1999 to 2002 seasons, stepping down in 2002 after an 0-3 start.
Before becoming a head coach at the collegiate level, Keasler worked as a high school coach in his native New Iberia, Louisiana. He later returned to college coaching, taking an assistant role at Louisiana-Monroe in 1981, then known as Northeast Louisiana.
His legacy at McNeese was formally recognized over the years. In 2006, he was inducted into the McNeese Hall of Fame, and he was later named to the Southland Conference Hall of Honor in 2014.
Keasler’s standing within the conference was further solidified a year before that Hall of Honor recognition, when he was named the Southland Conference Coach of the Decade for the 1990s.
For players, alumni, and supporters, Keasler’s career reflected more than wins and postseason appearances. The run of Southland titles and repeated playoff trips created a recognizable identity for McNeese, one built around sustained competitiveness rather than isolated success.
His later move to Louisiana-Monroe also highlights the difficult transition some programs face when they step into the higher-stakes environment of FBS competition.. Keasler’s record as the Warhawks navigated those early FBS years underscores how quickly expectations and resources can change at the top level.
Meanwhile. the timeline of his recognition—from Hall of Fame to conference honors to Coach of the Decade—suggests his impact was remembered not just for a single season or a single postseason run.. Those distinctions point to a coaching career that shaped how McNeese and its conference peers were viewed throughout the 1990s.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Bobby Keasler death McNeese State coach Louisiana-Monroe coach Southland Conference titles FCS national championship game college football coaching
RIP coach always respected what he built down there
wait so he lost to Marshall in 95 and then lost the title game too?? that had to hurt man. at least he made it that far I guess most coaches never even get close to that kind of run so you gotta give him credit for that.
I grew up watching McNeese and I remember my dad talking about those 90s teams like they were something special. People forget how hard it is to do what he did at a small Louisiana school with no big recruits or money or nothing like that. Nine seasons and almost 80 wins is not a joke. I dont even think most people outside Louisiana ever heard of him and thats kind of sad because coaches at big schools with half his record get statues and stuff. Louisiana football history deserves more attention honestly.
wasnt Youngstown State like a dynasty back then or something I feel like they beat everybody in that era so losing to them wasnt really that bad but idk why they moved him to Louisiana Monroe that seems like a step down if he was already winning championships