JOURNAL SPORTS

New Northwestern State football coach Blaine McCorkle speaks today as Superior’s Steakhouse hosts a traditional preseason luncheon previewing the Demons’ upcoming football season.

Fans are asked to pay at the door with cash or checks. The luncheon is sponsored by John and Lynne Manno of Shreveport.

The public is invited to join the event in Ballroom B inside Superior’s Steakhouse, located at 855 Pierremont Avenue in Shreveport. The luncheon begins at 11:45 a.m., one week ahead of the Demons’ Aug. 29 season opener at Tulsa.

Cost for the all-inclusive lunch is $20 and includes water or tea, a salad, a plated meal and dessert. Reservations are being accepted by contacting the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl office at 318-221-0721.

“This event is something our department looks forward to being involved with,” NSU Director of Athletics Kevin Bostian said. “This kickoff to football season is one of the longer standing traditions for us and for the Shreveport-Bossier community, which means so much to Northwestern State from a current student and from an alumni standpoint. We are eager to connect with our fan base and allow them to hear from coach McCorkle about the 2024 season.”

McCorkle took over at Northwestern late last year after six seasons rebuilding a downtrodden Division III program in his first head coaching stint at Belhaven (Miss.). The Blazers were nationally ranked in a 10-1 playoff season last year and went 24-7 in his last three seasons, including 19-6 in USA South conference action, winning the 2023 league crown.

He was a deep snapper at LSU in the late 1990s and played in two Independence Bowls for coach Gerry DiNardo’s Tigers. The 48-year-old has previously been an assistant coach (offensive line) at Delaware, Richmond, Liberty, Tennessee Tech and Chattanooga, among others. His brother Sammy is head coach at Dartmouth and their dad, Sam, was a college assistant at various levels, including stints at Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Kentucky.