Donald C. Landry Collection

Donald Camille “Don” Landry was born August 25, 1938 in Scott, Louisiana to Oran Camille and Una Marie Freemen Landry and was raised in Lafayette. He attended Cathedral High School, graduating in 1956. After graduation, Landry joined the Marines spending six months in active duty and five years in the reserves. He attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana and received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1960. While there, he served as a student coach in football, basketball, and baseball. After graduation, he served as a high school coach at his alma mater, Cathedral High School from 1960-1961 and then at Chalmette High School from 1961-1962, and finally at St. Aloysius High School in New Orleans from 1962-1964. Landry was hired as the assistant basketball coach and head tennis coach at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana in 1964 where he remained until 1966. He earned his master’s degree while there in 1966. Coach Landry was then offered the head basketball coach position at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. In 1972, Landry was promoted to assistant athletic director in addition to his coaching duties. In 1978, Landry was named athletic director and served in that capacity until 1987. During those years, Landry converted the school to Division I status and was responsible for the founding of the Gulf State Conference which Nicholls joined. During his tenure, Nicholls won two conference championships and two NCAA Regional Championships. Landry was the founder and first President of both the Louisiana Athletic Directors Association and the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches. Through these associations, he was responsible for founding the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1987, Landry was hired as the Commissioner of the Southland Conference. He established the headquarters in Dallas, Texas and secured several corporate sponsorships in addition to agreements with television stations to air the games. Nicholls State University joined the conference in 1991. After serving three years as Commissioner, Landry was recruited to become the Executive Director of the National Cutting Horse Association, in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1993 he was named Director of Special Projects for the Texas Rangers baseball team. Shortly thereafter, he was hired as the Commissioner of the Sunshine State Conference based in Orlando, Florida. Landry remained in this position until his retirement in the Fall of 2004. Don Landry has earned numerous awards and honors during his career. His leadership in the state of Louisiana earned him the Carl Maddox Distinguished Service Award from the Louisiana Athletic Directors Association in 1988. Additionally, Coach Landry has been honored as Coach of the Year by several organizations as well as inducted into several Halls of Fame. In January of 2024, Landry was honored by Nicholls State University with the naming of the Don Landry Legacy Center in Stopher gymnasium. He has written numerous articles including articles written for a weekly sports column in the Bayou Catholic from 1980-1987 and a monthly sports column in the Cutting Horse Magazine from 1990-1992. In 2011, Landry authored and self-published a book on the history of high school and collegiate boxing in Louisiana entitled, “Boxing: Louisiana’s Forgotten Sport, History of High School and College Boxing.” He was also instrumental in the founding of the Louisiana High School Boxing Hall of Fame and exhibit originally located in the Iberville Museum in Plaquemine, Louisiana and now housed in the Archives at Nicholls State University. Landry is married to Lucille Landry and has four sons and twelve grandchildren.