Southern basketball assistant leaving

• By PERRYN KEYS
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Jul 10, 2009

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Sean LeBeauf said he didn’t plan on leaving the Southern men’s basketball program — but after a phone call, an impromptu conversation and an old connection, LeBeauf is on his way out of town.

An assistant to Rob Spivery for four years, LeBeauf will leave his post at SU later this month to take over as head coach of the women’s basketball program at Paris (Texas) Junior College.

“I didn’t apply. I didn’t even send in a résumé,” LeBeauf said.

LeBeauf — a former Hahnville standout who coached Archbishop Shaw to the 2000 state championship — had a brief stint as a men’s assistant coach at Paris Junior College earlier this decade. He later coached at Centenary before moving on to Southern.

LeBeauf said he called school President Pamela Anglin on behalf of a friend who had applied for an opening on the men’s basketball staff.

But Anglin and LeBeauf already knew each other. When he coached there the first time, LeBeauf spent some time helping Anglin’s daughter improve her basketball game.

“She said she thought I’d be good,” LeBeauf said. “I got my start coaching high school girls teams at Tulsa, Okla., when I was coaching Wayman Tisdale’s daughter. ...

“Honestly, not to be disrespectful, the men’s side is more intense with everything. So my intensity level is hopefully going to help them; they’re going to have to step up. I want to keep my thumb on them. They’re kids, all the same. You can’t let them exhale.”

Spivery gave his endorsement and made it a point to thank LeBeauf, who, over the past four years, had substantial roles in recruiting players and organizing day-to-day practice sessions at SU.

As it stands, the SU men’s program has two assistants in Joe Proctor and Sheldon Jones, as well as one open position.

But budget cuts have already led the SU athletic department to cut men’s tennis and women’s golf.

Also, several positions have gone unfilled, including that of the baseball team’s pitching coach and the department’s senior woman administrator. The latter duties were taken over by Pam Smith, an assistant to Athletic Director Greg LaFleur.

Spivery said he’d like to fill LeBeauf’s position, and Spivery’s contract stipulates that he have three assistants on staff.