Lee Roussel is in his seventh season with the Nicholls State University football program as offensive line coach.
Since his arrival in Thibodaux the offensive line has received several awards, highlighted by All-American lineman P.J. Burkhalter. In 2019, Burkhalter garnered a handful of all-America honors and was named Southland Conference Lineman of the Year. He repeated the feat in the 2021 spring campaign, becoming the first player in Southland history to earn lineman of the year in consecutive seasons.
Burkhalter was part of a trio of first-team All-Southland honorees on the offensive line in the spring, joined by Jair Joseph and Evan Roussel. The Colonels ranked third in the FCS in rushing at 263.4 yards per game and had two players finish third and fourth in the SLC in rushing yards. It marked the third consecutive season that Nicholls had the top rushing offense in the Southland after ranking second in 2017.
In the Colonels' championship seasons, the offense churned out 196.1 yards per outing in 2019 and saw a historic effort in the backfield by running back Julien Gums. Behind three all-league honorees, Burkhalter, Joseph, and Bradston Burnside, Gums set the program single-season rushing records with 1,232 yards and 16 touchdowns.
For the '18 campaign, Nicholls averaged nearly 250 yards a game on the ground, ranking 12th in the FCS. The Colonels also set team records in points (420) and total yards (6,162). Three linemen were named All-SLC that year, with Chandler Arceneaux and Ryan Hanley being named first team. Arceneaux was a three-year recipient while Hanley repeated after earning second team as a junior.
In the ‘17 season, the line cleared the path for the second-best rushing offense in the league at 200.2 yards per game, as well as seven 100-yard rushing games by four different players.
The Colonel line made a vast improvement under Roussel’s tutelage in his first season, particularly in pass protection. Coming off a 56-sack season in 2014, the offensive line cut the total in half as they allowed just 28 in 2015.
A native of Lutcher, La., Roussel joined Nicholls after coaching at Archbishop Rummel for five seasons. Along with coaching the offensive line in each season, Roussel took over as offensive coordinator in 2014 as the Raiders finished the regular season undefeated at 10-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 5A. Rummel advanced to the Division I state semifinals and completed the season with an 11-1 record.
During his tenure, Rummel won its first two state championships in football in 2012 and 2013 with 14-0 and 10-3 records, respectively. In his five seasons, Rummel produced two All-State offensive linemen and four All-District honorees.
Before coaching at Rummel, Roussel coached three years at St. Charles Catholic and two years at his alma mater Lutcher, where he was a two-year starter at center for his hometown Bulldogs in 2001-02.
Roussel earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies from Southeastern Louisiana in 2008.
THE ROUSSEL FILE
Personal: Born November 15, 1985. Hometown: Lutcher, La. Family: Married to the former Kelly Bourgeois. Has a daughter, Hallie, and a son, Parker.
Coaching Experience: St. Charles Catholic (La.) (2005-07), offensive line; Lutcher High (La.) (2008-09), offensive line; Rummel High (La.) (2010-13), offensive line; Rummel High (La.) (2014), offensive coordinator/ offensive line; Nicholls (2015-present), offensive line.
Playing Experience: Offensive lineman at Lutcher.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in general studies from Southeastern Louisiana in 2008.
