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Anyone who saw the gangly youngster firing up what is now defined as 3-pointers in Royal Ambassador basketball at First Baptist Bossier back in the day, would never have guessed he’d grow up to be a 2026 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee.
But that was the start of a circuitous route Mike McConathy took to end up where everyone involved in sports in Louisiana wants to be enshrined – in the Natchitoches-based hall just down the street from the Northwestern State gym where he probably should still be coaching. You can call him “Opie” for his Ron Howard resemblance, or you can call him “Mr. 318,” due his persistence in staying in the North Louisiana area code throughout most of his playing and coaching career.
Whatever else you call him, however, do so respectfully because Louisianans can be proud they helped raise a guy of his ilk. After reflecting on his admittance into the LSHOF a couple of weeks ago, McConathy, who prepped at Airline, played collegiately at Louisiana Tech then coached at Bossier Parish Community College and NSU for umpteen years, shared some of his thoughts.
“I think the greatest thing about it is I think you need to know who you are,” McConathy said. “Use your strengths. Know your weaknesses. Try to build on those things if you're not the biggest, fastest or strongest as a player, but you have a great desire to compete each and every day that you play.”
HONOREE: McConathy, Suggs, Curtis, Sanford among honorees at Shreveport NFF banquet
HEADED TO NSU: North DeSoto’s Luke Delafield offers surprising move in final game
McConathy’s father, along with the late BG Barnett, coached his church league team, which helped him understand that he wanted to be a basketball player and eventually a coach.
“It gave me a great deal of a drive to be the best I could be with my God-given talent,” he said. “I think staying in the same area code for my high school, college and coaching career made a big difference.”
McConathy’s accolades have been well-documented, paving the way for his hall of fame inductions at Tech and NSU. He once scored 47 points in a game for the Bulldogs, earning AP All-America honors. He started the BPCC men’s basketball program and won 352 games in 16 seasons there. The Demons took a chance on the junior college coach, and it paid off. He toppled Auburn, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State and Oregon State while piling up 330 victories along with the school’s only NCAA Tournament berth for the program.
Most importantly, McConathy graduated 90% of his players at a time when many schools were proud of netting half that many.
“In my playing career, out-working people, developing skills to the maximum — it allowed me just to be Opie,” McConathy said. “I could coach the way that I needed to coach. I could put my stamp on our programs and use techniques that were a little out-of-the-box thinking.”
NSU often went with five-in, five-out on substitutions, which got a lot of guys in the game.
“We could not play with the major colleges using six or seven players, but we sold our players on the theory of the MVP of the team is the team,” said McConathy, who generated more than $5 million for the university from his team’s money games.
In the days before the NCAA Transfer Portal and NIL deals, McConathy and his staff coaxed many of their players into sticking around for four years
“It is about the rest of their life and teaching more than basketball — teaching life and about faith,” he said.
While he was reflecting on his latest hall induction, McConathy cited games that stood out to him at various levels of playing and coaching. Nothing was mentioned from his FBC or Airline days, but winning the NJCAA regional in Mississippi with BPCC to make the national tournament did. As a starter for the Bulldogs, getting a 103-102 win over Billy Tubbs’ Lamar team in Ruston was pivotal to Tech winning the Southland Conference title.
His NSU team defeated Iowa in the NCAA Tournament in a monumental game, while the Demons came back from 20 points down at the half to defeat OSU and MSU.
“Those wins put us in position to believe we belonged and could play against anyone,” McConathy said.
Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Opie or Mr. 318, Mike McConathy earns way into Louisiana Hall of Fame
Continue reading...
But that was the start of a circuitous route Mike McConathy took to end up where everyone involved in sports in Louisiana wants to be enshrined – in the Natchitoches-based hall just down the street from the Northwestern State gym where he probably should still be coaching. You can call him “Opie” for his Ron Howard resemblance, or you can call him “Mr. 318,” due his persistence in staying in the North Louisiana area code throughout most of his playing and coaching career.
Whatever else you call him, however, do so respectfully because Louisianans can be proud they helped raise a guy of his ilk. After reflecting on his admittance into the LSHOF a couple of weeks ago, McConathy, who prepped at Airline, played collegiately at Louisiana Tech then coached at Bossier Parish Community College and NSU for umpteen years, shared some of his thoughts.
“I think the greatest thing about it is I think you need to know who you are,” McConathy said. “Use your strengths. Know your weaknesses. Try to build on those things if you're not the biggest, fastest or strongest as a player, but you have a great desire to compete each and every day that you play.”
HONOREE: McConathy, Suggs, Curtis, Sanford among honorees at Shreveport NFF banquet
HEADED TO NSU: North DeSoto’s Luke Delafield offers surprising move in final game
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McConathy’s father, along with the late BG Barnett, coached his church league team, which helped him understand that he wanted to be a basketball player and eventually a coach.
“It gave me a great deal of a drive to be the best I could be with my God-given talent,” he said. “I think staying in the same area code for my high school, college and coaching career made a big difference.”
McConathy’s accolades have been well-documented, paving the way for his hall of fame inductions at Tech and NSU. He once scored 47 points in a game for the Bulldogs, earning AP All-America honors. He started the BPCC men’s basketball program and won 352 games in 16 seasons there. The Demons took a chance on the junior college coach, and it paid off. He toppled Auburn, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State and Oregon State while piling up 330 victories along with the school’s only NCAA Tournament berth for the program.
Most importantly, McConathy graduated 90% of his players at a time when many schools were proud of netting half that many.
“In my playing career, out-working people, developing skills to the maximum — it allowed me just to be Opie,” McConathy said. “I could coach the way that I needed to coach. I could put my stamp on our programs and use techniques that were a little out-of-the-box thinking.”
NSU often went with five-in, five-out on substitutions, which got a lot of guys in the game.
“We could not play with the major colleges using six or seven players, but we sold our players on the theory of the MVP of the team is the team,” said McConathy, who generated more than $5 million for the university from his team’s money games.
In the days before the NCAA Transfer Portal and NIL deals, McConathy and his staff coaxed many of their players into sticking around for four years
“It is about the rest of their life and teaching more than basketball — teaching life and about faith,” he said.
While he was reflecting on his latest hall induction, McConathy cited games that stood out to him at various levels of playing and coaching. Nothing was mentioned from his FBC or Airline days, but winning the NJCAA regional in Mississippi with BPCC to make the national tournament did. As a starter for the Bulldogs, getting a 103-102 win over Billy Tubbs’ Lamar team in Ruston was pivotal to Tech winning the Southland Conference title.
His NSU team defeated Iowa in the NCAA Tournament in a monumental game, while the Demons came back from 20 points down at the half to defeat OSU and MSU.
“Those wins put us in position to believe we belonged and could play against anyone,” McConathy said.
Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Opie or Mr. 318, Mike McConathy earns way into Louisiana Hall of Fame
Continue reading...
