Lamar’s football team not only finds itself without a defensive line coach, but down a returning starter on that line as well.

Head coach Ray Woodard announced Monday that senior-to-be end Larance Hale has been dismissed for an unspecified violation of team rules. That leaves the Cardinals with two returning regular starters and another hole to fill in their transition from a three-man front to a 4-2-5 scheme under new defensive coordinator Trey Haverty.

The dismissal is a bitter end, for now, to a long journey in the collegiate game for Hale, whose father Jamelle Holieway quarterbacked Oklahoma to the 1985 national championship. A 6-foot-2, 280-pounder from Tatum, Hale redshirted after transferring from Division II Southern Arkansas, where he played in 11 career games in two seasons. His best season there came as a sophomore in 2013, when he totaled all 22 of his career tackles, including six for losses (one sack), forced two fumbles and recovered one.

Hale made first-team All-Southland Conference this past November after not making the first string in Lamar’s opening depth chart. Hale, who started 10 of Lamar’s 11 games, finished second in the Southland in tackles (21.5) and sacks (7.5) and totaled 86 tackles. His work also earned him a nomination for College Football Performance Awards Defensive Lineman of the Year.

The Cardinals have not yet hired a replacement for John Blake, who left two weeks ago to become D-line coach with the Buffalo Bills. Lamar had hired the former Oklahoma head coach in February.

Lamar has starters Omar Tebo and Larry Carroll returning on the line, with Port Arthur Memorial graduate Marcus Abbott, Nederland alumni Corbin Carr and Koby Couron and New Jersey product William Wowkanyn back to compete for a starting job. Rising senior Manasseh Miles is returning from a season-ending injury as well, while Seth Adams looks to become a factor after redshirting as a freshman.

Lamar also signed high schoolers Tre Towery of Moore, Oklahoma, Daniel Crosley of DeRidder, Louisiana, and James Jeffery of Houston, and Kilgore College transfer Demontrai Lewis to the line.