By program standards, the ULM Warhawks started off the 2017 season red-hot. They opened at 3-2, winning three straight conference games before going 1-4 in their final Sun Belt contests, and 0-2 outside of league play. That wrapped up the season at 4-8, which on its face would be a cause for disappointment.
But the ULM faithful did not walk out of 2017 with anything other than optimism and hope. When head coach Matt Viator took over in 2016, he did so inheriting a 2-11 program with a discouraged and uninterested fan base. In his first season in Monroe, Viator led one of the nation’s most inexperienced teams to an improved 4-8 record, officially getting the rebuild underway.