Andrus takes over Iota's football program

IOTA – After four disappointing seasons, Iota’s Neal Lege has decided it is time to move on.
Two weeks ago, Lege resigned as athletic director and head coach at Iota after two stints at the school that has spanned 21 years, seven of those as a head coach.
Lege was at Iota for 17 years before taking an assistant coaching position at Acadiana in 2005 where the Rams won a pair of state titles before the veteran coach returned to Iota in 2011.
Over the last four years since that return, the Bulldogs have struggled, going just 5-35 during that time. The last two years have been the biggest struggles as the Bulldogs failed to record a victory.
On Friday, Josh Andrus, who was the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator last season, was tabbed as Lege’s successor.
“I’m excited about this opportunity,” said Andrus, who has had stints as an assistant coach at four different schools — Elton, St. Edmund, Crowley and Iota. “All I’ve ever wanted was a head coaching job. We have a bunch of young guys that are coming up and they are working really hard in the weight room. It’s an exciting group and they’re excited to work, which makes it easy for me.”
Those underclassmen will play a vital roll in Iota getting back to its glory days. The Bulldogs are losing 13 seniors to graduation this year, the bulk of whom were major contributors during their prep careers.
“It’s going to be a challenge,” said Andrus. “This biggest thing is going to be age-wise and getting experience. We have a big senior class that is graduating, but this year, we had a lot of injuries that enabled some of our younger guys to get some experience. I think those guys got a little taste of high school football and they are excited. They understand what it takes to get better and they don’t want to have anything like the last two seasons in Iota.”
A benefit for Andrus is that he was on staff 2014, allowing him to know personnel and logistics at the school.
He got to see what his team was made of early and often due to injuries that forced the offensive coordinator to play four different quarterbacks during the course of the season. His offense was also hindered at the running back position when standout tailback Adam Ardoin was sideline for most of the season with due to an injury.
“I got to see the talent that we have and it gives me a head start on an idea of what we need to do to get better and the abilities of the kids that we have that are coming up,” said Andrus. “The kids understand what I want and what I expect and that’s always good. When someone comes in, it’s always kind of an iffy situation because they (players) are trying to feel him out and he’s trying to feel the kids out. By being here for a year, they (players) know what I like to do and what I expect and vice versa.”
And what Andrus expects is to be a more balanced team.
That was evident last season.
The Bulldogs, who were a traditional ground-and-pound football team, relied on throwing the football more than ever.
“I think the kids were excited with the spreading out of the offense,” said Andrus. “I know we didn’t have the success that we wanted as a team, but they worked hard and they never quit.
“I think it’s going to get better. I think we will be leaps and bounds better now, knowing the offense. I still think we have a lot of work to do, but we are heading in the right direction.”