Matt Viator has led the Cowboys to a Southland Conference football championship and into the NCAA Division I championship in three of his four seasons as the McNeese State head coach. He took over the head job four games deep into the 2006 season, went 6-2 the rest of the way, won the SLC title and put his team into the NCAA Division I championship. In 2007, the Cowboys posted only the fourth regular season undefeated record in school history, an 11-0 mark. In 2008 the Cowboys were 7-4 overall, nationally ranked and finished second in the league standings and last year McNeese went 9-3, won its third league title in four years and went to the NCAA playoffs.

During his tenure as the Cowboy head coach, Viator has been named the Southland Conference Coach of the Year, the Louisiana Coach of the Year and he has been a finalist for the Eddie Robinson award.