When former Catholic High School quarterback Michael Desormeaux was released by the Calgary Stampeders from his Canadian Football League contract last month, the first person he notified after his family was longtime friend Tucker Lewis.

That message has led to the next step in Desormeaux’s career, one that brings him back to his alma mater as an assistant football coach.

Lewis, Desormeaux’s favorite target at CHS, immediately went to new Panthers head coach Keith Menard to see if there was an opening at the school that his old friend could fill. After discussion with principal Ray Simon, Desormeaux was brought in to coach quarterbacks and take over the conditioning program. He’ll also teach eighth grade history and P.E.

Michael Desormeaux, second from right, supervises workouts in the Catholic High weight room. Desormeaux returns to CHS, his alma mater, as an assistant football coach this year after he was released earlier this summer by the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. A quarterback at CHS and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, will coach quarterbacks at Catholic High. - Chris Landry / The Daily Iberian Advertisement

“I’m excited about it,” said Desormeaux, who is fourth on the UL-Lafayette career total offense list with 6,736 rushing and passing yards, and third in career rushing yards (2,843). “Coaching was always what I wanted to get into (after his playing days were done). I didn’t really anticipate that (returning to his alma mater) happening.”

Menard said he also is excited by the prospect of having the former college and pro player on his staff.

“He’s a guy I think everybody respects in New Iberia,” said Menard. “It’s a positive thing for our school.”

Though being a great player doesn’t automatically translate into being a great coach, he expects Desormeaux to be successful at his new vocation.

“He was a student of the game,” said Menard. “The kids know who he is and how accomplished he is.”

Menard said that Desormeaux’s time at a variety of positions early in his college career with the Ragin’ Cajuns and his switch to defensive backs with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars broadened his knowledge of the game, which can only help as a coach.

His love of the game is what sparked Desormeaux’s desire to learn it from as many aspects as possible.

“I just always wanted to know everything (about football),” Desormeaux said. “Playing all those positions helped, especially in Jacksonville where I got to learn defense at the highest level. To hear those guys (coaches and veteran players) talk about it and teach it was just amazing.”

Of course, his primary position was quarterback, at CHS, Louisiana-Lafayette and in the CFL.

“Obviously I’ve gotten to play quarterback for a long time,” said Desormeaux. “But I think as much as I know about defense helps too. I just bring a little bit of experience. I don’t know what kind of offense we’ll be running, but if it’s like what coach Menard did last year (at Many High School), we’ll be doing some shotgun. I bring a lot of experience in the shotgun offense.”

He also learned to love training, something he hopes can help make what could be a tedious summer activity for the CHS players a little more enjoyable.

“In high school I really wasn’t a weight-room guy,” said Desormeaux. “In college, I had some great strength coaches. Then I trained in New Jersey for the (NFL) combine, and in Jacksonville we had some great trainers. It’s something I really got to enjoy.”

He learned to love it so much, he said, that he is the one who proposed taking over the conditioning program to Menard.

“It’s something I asked for,” said Desormeaux. “It’s had work. It will be a little bit different than what (the players) usually do. Every day I want to do something a little bit different.”

That will include some variations on bench and squat work, and a little more circuit training.

“I think they’re going to find it fun,” said Desormeaux. “High school kids are playing football just because they want to. You definitely don’t want it to be a chore.”