Houma Christian football coach, AD Chuck Battaglia retiring; Butch Theriot promoted to both jobs
Houma Christian School will have a new leader in its athletic department starting in 2022-23 school year.
Chuck Battaglia confirmed that he is retiring after 26 years, which includes time as the school’s athletics director, football coach and baseball coach. Houma Christian has named assistant Butch Theriot as its new football coach and athletics director.
Battaglia said he wants to retire to spend more time with his family, including his wife Mileina.
“I have an amazing wife,” Battaglia said. “For the last 26 years, I’ve been putting the school and everybody else first. It’s come to this stage of my life where I want to be there for her more. We’ve got to the point where I can step away and have more time with family.”
Battaglia, a former Nicholls baseball player, has helped turn Houma Christian from a small Louisiana Christian School Athletic Association school when he arrived in 1995 into a Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class 2A program. He led the transition into an LHSAA school in 2004 and he started Houma Christian’s first football team in 2011.
Battaglia had a 38-59 record and five trips to the LHSAA state playoffs as Houma Christian’s football coach. He led the baseball team to the state semifinals in 2008. He said teaching discipline and character to his athletes were more important than winning games.
“I walked into here when I was 24. I just turned 50 now,” Battaglia said. “It’s truly amazing to see the growth of the school. It’s tremendous to see the number of kids we have now and play a role in their lives. It was great to be a part of it. It’s good to know that I was a part of that foundation."
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Theriot, who has worked as an assistant football and baseball coach for the last two years, said he looks forward to leading the athletic department. He has a deep baseball background. He worked as an assistant baseball coach at Nicholls (1992-95) and at St. Charles Catholic. He has coached American Legion baseball in the area, but now looks to guide Houma Christian’s football program.
“It’s a big step up. I’m very excited about it,” Theriot said. “It’s something I truly love. I love athletics. I love the fact of leading coaches and athletes in the right direction. Coach Chuck has done such a fantastic job. I’m excited about following in his footsteps. It’s huge footsteps to fill.”
Theriot said Houma Christian looks to improve on a 2-4 record in 2021. There are 51 players on roster.
“My goal is to put a team together that will compete every single Friday,” Theriot said. “Our ultimate goal is not the wins or losses on the scoreboard. It’s to bring kids to Christ. I think using football as a vessel for that, we’ll be a winner every week if we can accomplish that.”
Reach Chris Singleton at 985-857-2213 or chris.singleton@houmatoday.com and on Twitter @courierchris.
This article originally appeared on The Courier: Houma Christian football: Chuck Battaglia retires; Theriot promoted
