Movin’ on Up! Renovations, court declaration coming to Stopher Gym

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The basketball floor in Stopher Gymnasium is about to be named after one of the most successful and popular basketball coaches in the history of the Nicholls State University program.

The Nicholls Athletic Department announced last week that Stopher Gymnasium will be undergoing several upgrades in the coming months which are aimed to add to both the student-athlete and Colonel fan experiences.


The enhancements are made possible by a significant gift commitment made by the One Shining Moment Foundation, based out of Thibodaux.

Among the renovations will be a new, portable court that will be named in honor of Nicholls Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach Rickey Broussard. That court will be publicly dedicated on Jan. 27.

Broussard, 69, was the Colonels’ coach from 1990-2002, accumulating 150 wins and twice guiding the team to the NCAA Tournament.


A member of the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame, Broussard was also an assistant coach at UL-Lafayette, South Florida and LSU in his storied career.

“We are so proud to be able to place Coach Broussard’s name on the court,” Nicholls Athletic Director Matt Roan said. “Coach was incredibly successful during his tenure here and uplifted Nicholls, our department and the basketball program. It’s our pleasure to honor him in this way.”

The renovations are just another in a long list of examples of how the Colonels’ small, tight-knit community finds ways to make progress – despite a lack of funding from the state of Louisiana.


The One Shining Moment Foundation was helping hand in this case, those in the foundation said it’s their purpose to give back to athletics in Southeast Louisiana.

The foundation is a 501(C) 3 non-profit, serving sports and education-related initiatives in south Louisiana.

That they’d choose to give back to Nicholls basketball is not surprising. The foundation was created by former Nicholls assistant men’s basketball coach Quinn Strander and Nicholls alumnus and former athletic department official Brandon Ruttley, who serves as One Shining Moment’s Executive Director.


The foundation’s motto reads that “Everyone Needs Some Time to Shine!”

Roan said Nicholls athletics will do exactly that in the future, thanks to the generous donation.

In addition to the court, the Colonels have also gotten new, portable goals and Nevco LED scorer’s tables.


Soon, Stopher Gymnasium will feature new, premium, courtside seating which will bring fans closer to the action than ever before.

In separate projects in recent years, Nicholls has redone the locker rooms for both the men’s and women’s basketball programs, while also adding video boards, which allow for in-game instant replays and other wrinkles that make watching a game at the venue better for the fans.

“These enhancements to our basketball and volleyball venue will make a positive impact on our student-athletes, coaches and fans,” Roan said. “This is further proof of our commitment to making strides in improving our facilities every year and we are excited to be able to announce additional plans in the near future with the continued support of the University, Nicholls State University Foundation and the community. We are beyond grateful to the One Shining Moment Foundation for their leadership and support of Nicholls Athletics and the local community. Additionally, we are thankful to the support of the City of Thibodaux and Mayor (Tommy) Eschete to make the court upgrade possible.”


But the biggest piece of the story is Broussard and his name permanently being etched into Colonels’ history.

Ruttley said the former Nicholls’ coach had a huge impact on Nicholls and deserves to have his name permanently placed into the program’s history books.

Broussard still frequently attends Nicholls games and he and coach Richie Riley have struck an instant friendship – from the very first day Riley was hired into the program.


“Coach Broussard had a significant positive impact on countless lives during his time at Nicholls,” Ruttley said. “At the One Shining Moment Foundation, we believe there is no greater honor for a head coach than to have their home court named after them. We are extremely privileged to partner with Jeremy Becker, Mayor Eschete, the Rispone family and everyone at Nicholls to make the naming of Broussard Court a reality.”

BASKETBALL NOT THE ONLY PLACE TO FIND RENOVATIONS, IMPROVEMENTS

Nicholls’ athletic facilities look nothing today like they did five years ago.

Over the past half-decade, the Colonels have done tremendous upgrades to many of their facilities to try and ‘keep up with the Joneses’ in the Southland Conference – a push that started with previous Athletic Director Rob Bernardi and which has continued on into the future under Roan.


Roan recently announced a significant upgrade to the Colonel Softball Complex, which will soon be renamed Swanner Field. In that renovation, Nicholls will get a new, synthetic playing surface, as well as new, more modernized dugouts, lighting and bleachers.

The Colonel Tennis Complex also recently got a fresh makeover with new surfaces.

At Didier Field, things hardly look the same, as a new press tower, new grandstands, an elevator, a pedestrian bridge and a synthetic turn infield were put in on Ben Meyer Diamond – all which will be playable in the 2018 season.


And at John L. Guidry Stadium, the Colonels recently added a new video board, as well as getting new turf. Those renovations come on the heels of re-doing the outside of the stadium and press box.

“It means everything in today’s age,” Nicholls coach Tim Rebowe said recently when asked about facilities in college athletics. “It helps in your recruiting. For some kids, that could be the difference. It helps put you out there and it helps keep your name circulating. It’s a big part of the sport now and it’s very competitive.”

Stopher Gym


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