By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

Former East St. John coach Larry Dauterive is officially set to return to the sidelines next season in a new role – but in familiar surroundings.

Dauterive is returning to Opelousas High School as athletic director and head football coach, a move made official Thursday with a vote by the St. Landry Parish School Board.

His hiring was effective immediately.

“I’m back home,” said Dauterive. “Almost 20 years to the day I was hired here for the first time. The acceptance here has been overwhelming … the people remember my body of work here.”

Dauterive has coached at Opelousas before. After returning from a coaching stint in the Canadian Football League, he took over the OHS program in 1991 and inherited a squad that went 0-10 in the previous year. He guided Opelousas to an 8-2 record in his first season, then a 13-1 mark the next season. That team averaged 53 points per game. Dauterive’s teams would collect four district championships.

He remained there until 1996, when he jumped across town for the next four years to Opelousas Catholic.

Opelousas has not returned to the postseason in the 13 years since Dauterive’s departure. Much like his first tenure began, he will take over a squad that was 0-10 last season, making this the fifth time Dauterive will inherit a winless team.

“The good thing is, there’s nowhere to go but up,” he said. “It’s a challenge I’m excited to take on.”

Dauterive ended a nine-year run at East St. John in November, with his team 7-0 and challenging for the second undefeated regular season of his tenure. He resigned from his post amid controversy stemming from a New Orleans Quarterback Club meeting in which he gave a speech in which he, among other things, touched on the challenges of being “a white coach coaching 100 percent black children,” and that a number of his players came from single-parent homes.

Some thought the remarks painted a negative picture of the black community in St. John Parish.

One member of the St. Landry School Board questioned his potential hiring on that basis, but a number of his former players at Opelousas stood up to speak highly of his character.

“They stood up and spoke with conviction about Coach Dau,” Dauterive said. “It really meant a lot to me.”

Dauterive’s complied a record of 72-26 at East St. John. The Wildcats made the Class 5A playoffs in each of his nine seasons.

Sixty-four of his players went on to earn college scholarships.

“I wouldn’t trade my nine years at East St. John for anything,” Dauterive said. “I’m thankful for it all, and I certainly wish those kids success in the future. We had a tremendous run.”

But now, he said he looks forward to his next challenge.

“The great thing is many of my former players now have kids who are 14, 15, 16 and are here now as players,” said Dauterive. “I’m thankful things worked out.

“I’m excited about a new start.”