When head volleyball coach Chris Laird and head cross country coach, Scott Williamson, lead their squads in their first game and meet this semester, they will begin more than just their head coaching careers at Nicholls.Laird, who was hired on July 18, comes to Thibodaux after a two-year stint as an assistant coach at the University of South Alabama. He has served as an assistant coach at two universities and one junior college and as an assistant volunteer coach at two more colleges. He has never served as a head coach at the collegiate level.

The same can be said for Williamson, who served as an assistant coach at Emporia State University in Kansas and as a volunteer coach at the University of Iowa, his alma mater. He coached sprinters and hurdlers at both of these schools.

Both said they are excited to be head coaches in their respective sports.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Laird said. “(It is) something I’m really looking forward to. There is a lot of support in the administration and support staff. The girls who are here are working really hard. I’m glad to be here.”

Williams, who was hired Aug. 2, said, “You have your own program ,and (you) get to make all the shots. And at the end of the day it’s a reflection of you.”

When Laird initially found out about the head coaching vacancy, he said he was not interested, but after talking with others about it he had a change of heart. He sent his resume late, and the search had already been narrowed down to two candidates.

After the newly-hired volleyball coach, Erin Brown, resigned to take the head coaching position at Lewis and Clark State College in Idaho, Laird was called because his rsum was still on file. He was then interviewed and eventually awarded the job.

During this past off-season, the Lady Colonels’ 2003 SLC Championship was taken away. In the meantime, the team was also involved in an NCAA investigation of Nicholls athletics because of its use of an ineligible player during the 2003 season. Additionally, all wins during the 2003 season in which the ineligible player participated were taken away as well. Their head coach from the 2004 season and her replacement both resigned during the off-season.

Although there have been discussions about these topics, Laird said his team looks forward to what lies ahead now.

Senior opposite hitter Sarah Picou said the response to Coach Laird’s hiring has been positive.

“Everyone seems to like him,” Picou said. “He seems to want to be up there (top of the conference tournament). Everyone likes him (and) respects him.”

Williamson takes over the reins of both the men’s and the women’s cross country programs as well as indoor and outdoor women’s track and field squads from head cross country and track and field coach Agapius Amo, whose contract was not renewed after last season.

Williamson said he decided to come to Nicholls because it affords him a chance to be a coach at a Division I school.

During his collegiate track career at the University of Iowa, Williamson qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships four times and the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships twice. He will draw on qualities from his collegiate career to improve the cross country and track and field teams.

“As a competitor I was very goal-oriented and focused and enthusiastic and those are all qualities I’d like to bring to this program,” Williams said.

Williamson also said he would use ideas implementing consistency, hard work and a will to compete to help him coach.

Senior cross country runner Andre Ory said although the coaching change has not been easy, it has been good. He said that the toughest change has been the change in workout.

“We’re coming from a coach (Amo) telling us to take it easy to a coach (Williamson) that is pushing us really hard really quick,” Ory said.

Even though Amo is tough to replace, Ory said he thinks Williamson is a good fit.

When it was announced that Amo’s contract was not going to be renewed, former cross country runner Cassie Jones, government graduate from Fort Wayne, Ind., told The Nicholls Worth that Amo had his hands tied coaching both the track and field team and the cross country team.

Williamson said he plans to hire an assistant coach in the next month.

In addition to this hiring, Williamson believes that managing time and conducting practice at convenient times for all will help in coaching these three sports.