After eight seasons with the Lions, Larry Cordaro was recently named head coach of the basketball program at Louisiana State University of Alexandria. LSUA Basketball will make its debut next season.
Cordaro entered the Southland Conference in 2004 and came to the Lions bringing much knowledge of basketball operations and prior experience with notable  camps and programs including Louisiana State University, the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Miami.
Growing up with four siblings, Cordaro experienced a basketball atmosphere at an early age and went on to play at Ruston High School. Following his high school career he joined the basketball team at Xavier University of New Orleans as a walk on.
Playing an important role in the recruitment of key players in Southeastern history, he has established valuable relationships and a positive reputation in the basketball world.
“He’s a hardworker,” said Branden Fortenberry, former Lion. “He deserved to get that job; it was bound to happen; he always wants to get better he’s never satisfied with anything he does. I feel he’ll do a great job over there.”
In addition to coaching, Cordaro is also involved with youth through affiliations with the Southeastern Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Kids Hope and Sunday school instruction. He also hosts his own basketball camp annually in his hometown of Ruston, La. He has served as a mentor to students of all ages.
“Since my career here at Southeastern Cordaro has been a great coach,” said Antonnio Benton, senior forward. “He’s a really good personal coach. He goes beyond what other coaches would not only on the court but also in the academic classroom. Everybody who knows him knows that.  That’s one of his greatest strengths. He can relate to players really easily. One thing about basketball is it’s all about our team growth, but also individual growth and developing all of the players. I think that’s a big bonus for him. He is very well known by many people, and I expect him to bring in talented players who are willing to play for him and help build the program. That’s one thing I think he would definitely bring is players experience with different programs and different schools throughout his career.”
He has influenced the lives of many student athletes and contributed to their professional pursuits.
“He’s taught me a lot of what I know about the college basketball world,” said Brian Terwilliges, former student assistant. “I think a lot of what he taught me and the reason why I’m applying for the job I am today is because of him.  I’d love to coach just like him one day.”
Cordaro sat down with The Lion’s roar to provide insight on his experiences with the Lions and his plans as a new head coach.

The Lion’s Roar: Starting your career as one of the youngest coaches in the Division, what contributed most to your success?
Larry Cordaro: Three things come to mind: family, education and opportunity. Growing up I was a three man on a basketball team, meaning I was the third child of a family of five. That taught me the importance of teamwork, sharing, communication and getting along with others. At a young age I was on a basketball team, and little did I know that I would grow up to be a basketball coach.  Second, education brought me back to basketball. If it wasn’t for my education I wouldn’t be able to go on to college to pursue an education and receive my master’s degree at LSU where I received an opportunity, which is the last thing on my list. I made the most of my opportunity thanks to the work ethic that my parents instilled in me.
TLR: How did you discover the opening?
LC: My first two years coaching in the Southland Conference were at the University of Texas at Arlington and we competed against Southeastern Lousiana. There I got to know Coach Roman Banks and Nick Gast, two of Jim Yarbrough’s assistants who went to bat for me whenever there was an opening. It was basically the relationships that I built with those guys and my roots to Louisiana from working at LSU for three years that gave me the opportunity to come back to South Louisiana. It didn’t hurt that destiny stepped in at the final four. In Indianapolis before Coach Yarbrough hired me I bumped into him on the sidewalk at the coaches’ convention, and my words to him were ‘I will never rest so you can.'” He always says that stood out in his mind. Hopefully I have done a good job of working hard for him for the past eight years and those words ring true.
TLR: After coming to Southeastern with much experience from coaches at numerous other universities and being a former athlete at Xavier, what have you learned from Coach Yarborough and your career with the Lions?
LC: Coach Yarbrough has taught me how to maximize in many situations meaning making the most out of not a lot through coaching, recruiting and communicating. His knowledge of basketball runs very deep. He’s taught me the intricacies of the game and the value of a basketball education. When it comes to recruiting he works tirelessly on getting the best players in our program that are possible. Last but not least, his communication skills are second to none. He can effectively communicate with boosters, ball boys and everyone else in between.
TLR: What are you looking forward to most with the move?
LC: The people, the challenge and the platform. The people of LSUA and the area of Alexandria are genuine and open-minded. The challenge will be bigger than huge. Not only will it be a first time head coaching opportunity for myself, but it will also be the first time that the school has had a four year college basketball program on its campus. The platform will provide the opportunity to share Christ with many more.
TLR: Was it a hard decision for you to move on after eight seasons with the Lions?
LC: Yes it was a very hard decision. It took weeks and months in order for me to decide what was best. I realized I couldn’t pass up a head college coaching opportunity in my home state. In order for me to further my career I had to eventually leave student athletes on a team that I’ve loved to recruit and coach for.
TLR: What are the biggest challenges you foresee going into a brand new program, and how will you plan to overcome them?
LC: Current up and running programs have the luxury to keep the main thing the main thing. I totally understand that this job is bigger than just basketball. It will take community support, campus involvement and financial assistance that will need to be raised through ideas and our energy from our community that we serve.
TLR: What are your biggest goals for the team as head coach?
LC: It begins in recruiting student athletes who are eager to earn an education and possess the work ethic and attitude required to improve as a basketball teammate and also one that will serve the community in Alexandria and on campus at LSUA.
TLR: Has your time with the Lions been the longest program you’ve served on during your career?
LC: Yes, it has been. I’ve coached at Southeastern Louisiana longer than all other teams combined. This is currently my second term that I’m finishing. I coached two years at the University of Texas Arlington therefore giving me 10 seasons total in the Southland Conference. Prior to being a full time assistant, I was a graduate assistant for two seasons at LSU and a student assistant for one, and before that I was a walk-on athlete slash student manager at Xavier. I’ve worked my way up from walk-on student athlete to student manager to student assistant to graduate assistant to part time assistant to full time assistant to associate head coach to now head coach. Every step along the way, every position, I’ve held, which is pretty cool to work from the bottom all the way to the top.
TLR: What are reasons for the longevity of your dedication to the program?
LC: The people at Southeastern Lousiana have all been a joy to work with. The players are respectful and coachable and the potential is definitely here with a championship atmosphere.
TLR: Of all the players you’ve worked with during your career at Southeastern, what do you hope each learned from you?
LC: The one thing I hope to leave behind is a commitment to working hard. Talent alone is never enough, but that workers are winners and winners are workers. In order to succeed in any area, you must put in the time.
TLR: What elements of the program at Southeastern will you implement at LSU Alexandria?
LC: To someone on the outside looking in, one may not have an idea as to what a college basketball program entails. There are so many different components that a coach has to do develop and manage in order for his student athletes to be successful. And saying that, I have kept numerous notes on various areas in regarding to building a winning program. I will carry over a lot of basketball ideas over to LSU Alexandria thanks to me being on a staff that possesses a lot of basketball knowledge.
TLR: What is the date of your last day with the Lions, and when will your position at Alexandria begin?
LC: I don’t even want to think about my last date at Southeastern. I pause there because I know it’s going to be a bittersweet day. I know that term is overused. Actually it’ll be a sad day thinking about it right now, but it’s one that must occur in order for me to grow and develop as a person and a coach. Once our season is completed hopefully that’ll be after a conference tournament championship run and a berth into the NCAA tournament [my position will start at LSUA].