Northwestern State University of Louisiana will undergo a few more changes in personnel.

Men’s basketball head coach Mike McConathy is retiring from leading Northwestern State to three Southland Conference championships, seven National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Basketball Tournament appearances and 330 wins at the helm. The Demons’ last appearance in the NCAA tournament dates back to 2006, when McConathy and his team took down Number 3 seeded the UnIversity of Iowa in the first round.

Coach Mike, as some call him, stamped his mark on NSU and the state of Louisiana with his willingness to succeed and do things the right way. After 23 seasons, McConathy leaves NSU as Louisiana’s all-time leader in college basketball coaching victories, but he couldn’t do it alone.

McConathy applauded not only his former staff and players, but members of NSU Cheer, the Spirit of Northwestern, Pom-Pom Line and Demon Dazzlers for their energy over the years.

“I am truly blessed to have all of [my supporters] in my life,” McConathy said. “The impact you have made on me is far greater than anything I did to you.”

“Mike McConathy’s impact on Northwestern State men’s basketball and the athletic department as a whole cannot be overstated,” Kevin Bostian, NSU’s director of athletics, said. “His legacy is not defined strictly by the number of games he won here, but by the number of young men he affected in a positive manner away from the game of basketball.

Under McConathy, NSU student athletes that played for McConathy’s team were well prepared in the game of life and the game of basketball. Almost 90 percent of the players McConathy coached went on to receive their undergraduate degrees.

“Today is a day to celebrate you and your family,” Bostian said at McConathy’s retirement press conference. “Coach, your legacy will live on forever at Northwestern State. From this point on, our court will be called Mike McConathy Court at Prather Coliseum.”

As time rolls on and Northwestern State moves into new seasons, one thing will stay the same: Coach Mike’s legacy.