MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / March 13, 1999

BOUTTE – Hahnville stayed in house to find its next football coach, promoting defensive line coach Lou Valdin to the position this week.

Valdin replaces Scott Hildebrand who resigned recently after finishing 1- 8 in 1998. Hildebrand had led the Tigers to the 1995 Class 5A statechampionship game after taking over for Darren Barbier. The Tigers alsomade the state playoffs in 1996, losing in the bi-district round. In fouryears, Hildrebrand had a record of 23-22.

Valdin coached the Tigers defensive lineman this past season after guiding East St. John for three seasons. In those three years, he recorded a20-13 record, leading the Wildcats to their first playoff appearance since 1990 in 1996.

The following year, Valdin led the Wildcats to a 10-2 record and second place in District 6-5A. The Wildcats played their first home playoff gamethat year since 1980 against LaGrange and advanced to the regional round before falling to Jesuit.

Before being named the Wildcats’ head coach in March 1995, Valdin served as an assistant at Archbish-op Shaw, John Ehret, Higgins and Jesuit for 16 years.

“It feels great,” Valdin said of becoming a head coach again. “I would belying to you if I said I didn’t miss it last year. It feels so good to be back.”Valdin, who resigned from East St. John in order to have more time withhis family, said the Hahnville job was the only one he would have accepted. He faces the same challenge he did when he took over at East St.John in that both programs are coming off losing records but said the Hahnville program is in better shape than the East St. John job was whenhe was named head coach.

“I like it here,” Valdin said. “It was too good to pass up.”Valdin has a lot of work to do between now and when spring practice begins in May, chiefly filling out his coaching staff. He currently has fourcoaches returning from last year’s staff.

Valdin inherits a young team, one that will be mostly laden with juniors when the season starts.

“I am optimistic,” Valdin said. “Hahnville has a winning tradition. I aminheriting a program with a lot of discipline. The kids know how to workand know how to play.”

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