BEAUMONT -- Lamar president Dr. Jimmy Simmons boasted about his athletic director's nation-wide contacts in being able to search for a Cardinals head football coach.

So Billy Tubbs traveled the world and unloaded his sales pitch on a guy from Corrigan-Camden.... oh well, who needs those well-known national names anyway? LU has its man -- 46-year-old Lufkin native and Navarro College head coach Ray Woodard.

A first cousin of former Silsbee mentor Charlie Woodard, Lamar's new football coach pledged to become a very familiar face throughout the area's high school programs and social clubs prior to signing as many as 30 prospects next winter and having a 2009 exhibition season before Lamar's 2010 re-entry into Division I-AA football.

The 1982 Texas Longhorns media guide -- always with Fred Akers on the cover -- listed the Corrigan-Camden defensive tackle Woodard at 6-6, 260. More than 25 years later, it looked as if Woodard probably maintained his playing weight and then some.

"If it involves food, I'll be there," Woodard said, eliciting a hearty laugh from area media members. "I'm going to be out in the community."

Accompanied by his Penne, and daughter Jessica -- while the family's two dogs stayed in Corsicana -- Woodard pledged to run a multiple offense and a multiple defense. He visited Tubbs "about a month ago" for an initial interview but he traveled here expecting to have very little interest in re-starting Lamar football.

"I came down here for an initial interview with coach Tubbs with every intention of finding a bunch of things wrong with this program," Woodard said. "I would get in my car and go back up to Navarro because we were going to have a heckuva team this year. When I left, I was pumped up about this opportunity.

"From there, the next month I spent as much time doing everything I could to get back into the finals... I came here with one foot out the door and then I didn't want to leave."

Woodard is the eighth football coach in Lamar history. His one head coaching campaign at Navarro was a special one after two seasons as the Bulldogs' defensive coordinator. Navarro finished fourth in the NJCAA national poll at 9-3 with a 24-21 win over Georgia Military in the Pilgrim's Pride Bowl. The Dogs ended third nationally in total offense (444.6 ypg) and fourth in rushing offense (250.5 ypg).

"This is a pretty good for me but a great day for Lamar University to be bringing back football," he said at the start of his 20-minute remarks during Monday afternoon's Montagne Center introductory press conference.

"I'm a little bit nervous and excited and I'm not going to apologize for that... One of the things that's special about this is that it's home. I'm coming home."

Before he started the 1982 and 1983 seasons in UT's defense, Woodard inaugurated his college career as a modest walk-on but a two-time JC all-America selection at Kilgore College. His own humble beginnings influenced his current philosophy about opening LU's doors wide for walk-on players.

"I'm going to start a very extensive walk-on program," Woodard pledged. "I was a JC walk-on so I treat walk-ons pretty good. I've heard about all the hard work that we've got to do here.... If it's hard work, you've got the right guy."

Although Woodard does not have a strong historical previous association with his new employer, Tubbs described Lamar's re-start football coach as "one of us" based on his familiarity to Southeast Texas and the Golden Triangle.

"This was not a fly-by-the-minute quick hire," Tubbs said, thanking the selection committee for their involvement and participation in the process. "It's almost been an ongoing process for five years. We had a very extensive search to say the least... We consulted with many well-known coaches. We had a lot of real good applicants and it was obvious we were going to land an excellent coach.