UL-Monroe coach Charlie Weatherbie’s resume includes stints at Utah State and Navy, but his coaching career started in his hometown of Sedan, Kan. while he was still in junior high.
“I knew fairly early I would end up as a coach,” Weatherbie said. “In junior high, I officiated and coached little league football.”
Weatherbie said he decided to make football a top priority beginning in his junior high career.
“I had always dreamed of playing pro football,” Weatherbie said. “That was my whole goal from sixth grade on.”
Leading his high school to the Kansas state championship game in his junior and senior year, Weatherbie said schools from the old Southwest and Big 8 Conferences recruited him heavily. Weatherbie chose Oklahoma State, where he played quarterback from 1974-76.
Weatherbie started his last three seasons at OSU and led the Cowboys to the Big 8 co-Championship his senior season. He then accomplished his dream of playing professional football with stints at the NFL’s Houston Oilers and the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton, Ottawa and Hamilton franchises.
Weatherbie said he imitated New York Jet’s quarterback Joe Namath throughout his career. He said learning how to handle the pressure of quarterbacking in college took time, but really helped him in his development as a player and a person.
“I think it’s one of those things you grow into,” Weatherbie said. “You develop an attitude, a persona and it carries you into your college career. You know you’re going to be the hero and the goat. So you have to learn how to handle prosperity and defeat.”
After 10 years of coaching quarterbacks and receivers at Wyoming (1981-83), Air Force (1984-89) and Arkansas (1990-91), Weatherbie took his first head coaching position at Utah State in 1992.
Weatherbie’s experience as a head coach includes stints at Utah State (1992-94) and Navy (1995-2001). Both programs were plagued with losing seasons when he arrived and he took both to bowl games.
Weatherbie led the Navy football program to back-to-back winning seasons in 1996 and 1997. It was the first time the feat had been accomplished since the 1981-82 seasons. He also became the third coach to win a bowl game at Navy after winning the 1996 Aloha Bowl.
Weatherbie said one of college football’s most decorated rivalries – the Army-Navy game – is one experience he cannot describe.
“That’s a big rivalry,” Weatherbie said. “I don’t know words to explain a game like that. Some people say the Army-Navy game has more pageantry than the Super Bowl.”
Weatherbie’s first challenge as ULM’s head coach comes Saturday night at Tiger Stadium. Weatherbie said he coached against LSU one other time while at Utah State in 1993 – a 38-17 Tiger victory.
LSU coach Nick Saban said he expects Weatherbie to bring nothing but his best to the table on Saturday night.
“I’ve never played against him before,” Saban said. “I know he’s done a very good job of coaching in the places that he’s been at. Utah State and the Naval Academy had good programs and went to bowl games and he’s a very experienced guy. I’m sure it will show in the way he is prepared to play in the game.”
Weatherbie said the Indians have prepared to be successful in practice and now they are ready to show the quality he likes to instill in all the teams he coaches – a hard work ethic.
“I think they’re hungry for success,” Weatherbie said. “I think it comes down to the players believing in one another, changing attitudes, and working their tails off.”