LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — Bobby Keasler, a former Louisiana-Monroe and McNeese State football coach who lead teams to four Southland Conference titles and an appearance in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision national championship game, has died. He was 80.
McNeese State spokesman Matthew Bonnette said Keasler, who had retired in Lake Charles about two decades ago, died on Tuesday night.
Keasler took his first college head coaching job in 1990 at McNeese State, where he led the Cowboys to Southland titles in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, and seven appearances in the FCS playoffs.
His 1995 team went undefeated in the regular season and achieved a No. 1 national FCS ranking before losing its only game to Marshall in the national semifinals.
His 1997 Cowboys team appeared in the FCS national title game, falling to Youngstown State.
After going 78-34-2 in nine seasons at McNeese, and receiving Southland coach of the year honors five times, Keasler was hired in 1999 to coach Louisiana-Monroe, then in its sixth season as a Division I FBS program.
Keasler went 8-28 with the Warhawks, stepping down in 2002 after an 0-3 start.