Farmer will never forget the day he first met Hudspeth. The circumstances of that meeting set in motion the years-long process that would result in Hudspeth’s arrival as the Cajuns head coach in 2011.

“In 2002, I was at Troy doing some consulting work with the University of North Alabama,” Farmer said. “I went up there to campus and I had a meeting that morning with all the head coaches. The newly-hired football coach wasn’t there. I honestly didn’t think a whole lot of it, I understood he could’ve been recruiting, he could’ve been out of town.

“That night, I was at my hotel, and the hotel phone rang. He said, ‘Mr. Farmer, this is Mark Hudspeth. I apologize for missing the meeting today, I’m here if you want to talk now.’ Well, what do you mean I’m here? ‘I’m in the lobby.’”

Think about the possible outcomes if Hudspeth had decided to blow off the meeting entirely. If he didn’t go out of his way to not only go to the hotel where Farmer was staying, but ask the receptionist at the front desk to call his room. What if Farmer had been out for dinner? Would Hudspeth have ever arrived in Lafayette?

“That night, Mark went on my list of people to look out for,” Farmer said.