in 1951. Jack Martin was the first coach. Alvin Brooks is the current coach. Three Cardinal coaches have been named Southland Conference Coach of the Year:Jack Martin in 1969 and 1970, Billy Tubbs in 1978 and 1980, and Pat Foster in 1984. Steve Roccaforte shared CollegeInsider.com Southland Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2008. Five Cardinal coaches have taken their teams to NCAA tournaments: Jack Martin in 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964 (NCAA Division II); Billy Tubbs in 1979 and 1980; Pat Foster in 1981 and 1983; Mike Deane in 2000; and Pat Knight in 2012. Postseason NCAA Division I Tournament results The Cardinals have appeared in six NCAA Division I Tournaments, all as Lamar University. Their combined record is 5–6. Source: NCAA Division II Tournament results The Cardinals have appeared in five NCAA Division II Tournaments as Lamar State College of Technology. Their combined record is 5–5. Source: NIT results The Cardinals have appeared in four National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 2–4. Source: CIT results The Cardinals have appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) two times. Their combined record is 0–2. Miscellaneous history 80-game home win streak From 1978 to 1984 Lamar had one of the longest home court win streaks in NCAA history. The Cardinals compiled 80 wins between February 18, 1978, and March 10, 1984. The streak began February 18, 1978 against Arkansas State as the Cardinals cruised to a 59–54 victory. On March 10, 1984, as Lamar was hosting the Southland Conference tournament, Louisiana Tech came to town with future Hall of Famer Karl Malone. The Bulldogs would win 68–65 and advance to the NCAA tournament. McDonald Gym (37 games) and the Beaumont Civic Center (43 games) were Lamar's home-court during the win streak. Currently the win streak is 7th all time in NCAA division I history. Attendance Source: Top 10 attendance marks Below is a list of the Cardinals 10 best-attended games men's* home games (all at the Montagne Center). As of the 2018–19 season. *Note: Record home attendance for a Lady Cardinals game at the Montagne Center 9,143 was on March 17, 1991, vs the LSU Lady Tigers. Yearly attendance Below is a list of the attendance by year since the Cardinals moved into the Montagne Center. * Fall 2020 attendance limited to 25% capacity due to COVID19 precautions. As of the 2021–22 season. Awards and honors Retired jerseys Below