A month after firing Todd Berry in November, Louisiana-Monroe will hire McNeese State’s Matt Viator as its next coach, according to multiple reports. KTVE/KARD’s Gene Ponti was the first to report Viator’s hiring.
The 52-year-old Viator coached FCS-level McNeese State to a 77-33 record since taking over in 2006. McNeese State went 10-1 in 2015 and was the No. 4 seed in the FCS Playoffs, but were knocked out in the second round by Sam Houston State Dec. 5.
Under Viator, McNeese State reached the FCS Playoffs five times and won the Southland Conference four times. Prior to 2006, Viator served on Tommy Tate’s staff at McNeese State from 1999-2005 and spent a dozen years as a high school coach in Louisiana.
ULM has only made one bowl appearance in its 29-year program history (the 2012 Independence Bowl, which it lost, 45-14, to Ohio). Berry coached ULM to a program-best 8-5 record that year. ULM has only won six or more games six times and has a 120-212-2 all-time record.