The Colonels are set to open up their 45th season this Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. Although head coach Tim Rebowe believes every year is important, but he thinks this one will prove to be pivotal for him and his coaching staff.

Beginning his second year with the Nicholls football team, Rebowe said that he began to lay the foundation last year.

This year, they will build and grow off of this year. He has instilled in his players the idea that practicing the right way means taking care of all the little things that will add up to make them better athletes and better people when they are off the field.

“The guys believe in the system and they know it’s a process,” Rebowe said. “We want to get to the point where there’s enough of those guys who believe in it and act on it so when new guys come in, we can plug them right into that system.”

Rebowe attributes much of his team’s success and positive vibe to some of the older, more mature players who have adopted his system and live by it. Senior defensive back B.T. Sanders is one player who understands that things will work out if he can learn how to “trust the process.” Hezekiah White, redshirt sophomore linebacker, leads his teammates with the attitude of never being complacent and always striving to understand the game better. Tuskani Figaro, Chris Bordelon and Stephen Lebouef are also among the group of veteran Colonels who continue to live by the code Rebowe put into place during his first year as Head Coach.
“It’s something that we had to create, not just on the football field but out in the community. We had to get our pride back and understand that this is our university and this is our town,” Rebowe said. “We do want to change the culture and attitudes and guys like him [Lebouef] are a big reason we are able to do that.”

Rebowe said that trusting the process has allowed older players to set the tone for younger players who are also beginning to ease their way into the field. Sophomore Ryan Hanley and redshirt sophomore Chandler Arceneaux are doing just that with the example of their teammates to look up to.

“They realize that this thing can work and we do have the talent to compete at this level and in this league,” Rebowe said. “They know if they stick with it they will be okay.”

Rebowe knows that a bad attitude is just as contagious as a good one, and that is exactly why he wants his team to believe in thriving on a good attitude. Rebowe’s attitude going into his second season at Nicholls is lifted even higher when he considers timing and his roots. A native of Norco, Louisiana, Rebowe found his way back to Nicholls after spending 11 years at University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL), where he was an assistant coach. Rebowe was an assistant coach at Nicholls prior to his time at ULL from 1995-2000. Rebowe believes everything happens for a reason and at this point in his coaching career, he believes he is right where he belongs.

“I’ve moved around the state and I think I’ve come back full-circle. The time is right for me to be here,” Rebowe said. “This is where I want to stay and build, and I want us to be successful here. I’ve come full-circle, and I’m back.”

Rebowe has gone from baseball to football and coached all around the state of Louisiana, but his heart is set on his Colonels.
Rebowe led his team to three victories last year after not having won a single game in 2014, and he wants the improvements to keep coming.

“In football they always say you make the most improvements from your first game to your second game. That’s always the case, and I’m hoping it’s the same thing as far as my first and second years at Nicholls.”