NSU: ‘Mike McConathy Court’ named after beloved coach

NATCHITOCHES, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A local university’s basketball court has been named after a beloved coach whose scholarship fund will support students for generations.

Northwestern State University’s basketball court in Prather Coliseum is now known as Mike McConathy Court after a ceremony naming it on Feb. 15.

McConathy is still the state of Louisiana’s leader in college basketball coaching victories.

The ceremony took place during the Southland Conference men’s basketball game, where family, friends, colleagues, fans, and former players joined in the celebration.

The Mike McConathy Scholarship Fund was launched at the ceremony. The scholarship is designed to help NSU students who have used their NCAA eligibility to complete their college degrees.

Coach Mike McConathy said he is most proud to have helped young people get an education by playing a game they love.  

“Sometimes you don’t see the real picture in sports because you look at the record, which says you didn’t have a good year, but if every kid graduated and every kid went on to be successful…the fact that we gave them an opportunity to advance and tried to influence those young people had redeeming value,” McConathy said.  

McConathy’s father, two uncles, both of his sons and two nephews graduated from NSU. He coached 23 seasons at the university and achieved 330 state-record victories at Northwestern. Two of his teams won the first Southland titles.

McConathy’s players had a graduation rate of around 90 percent.

McConathy won the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches Mr. Basketball Award in 2023, partly for his work in beginning and building the basketball program at Bossier Parish Community College.

“My parents taught me a lot, but the most important thing that they gave me was they exposed me to my faith in which Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of everything that I’ve always tried to do,” said McConathy.  “It doesn’t mean that I haven’t failed many times, but I’ve always had to look to Him for guidance and direction in coaching, living, visiting with people and trying to emulate the things that He did for us.”