For nearly a year, one of the loudest criticisms aimed at Louisiana fans, and specifically at Ragin Review contributor Lane Johnson, was that they were “bitter” over Gerry Glasco leaving Lafayette for Texas Tech.

When Lane published “Texas Tech’s WCWS Failure Is the Price of Gerry Glasco’s Softball Robbery,” the backlash was immediate. Texas Tech (and even some Louisiana softball fans) mocked the piece as emotional, petty, and resentful. Texas Tech supporters dismissed it as coping from a fanbase watching its former coach succeed elsewhere.

But after recent reporting and growing national discussion surrounding Texas Tech’s recruiting tactics, it may be time to admit something uncomfortable:Maybe Lane wasn’t wrong.

Because this was never just about a coach leaving for a bigger opportunity. Louisiana fans have seen coaches leave before. This was about how Glasco left, and what he took with him.

The frustration in Acadiana stemmed from the belief that Glasco didn’t simply accept another job. He detonated the foundation of a program on his way out. Multiple Louisiana players immediately followed him to Lubbock, creating the perception that Texas Tech’s “overnight success” was less a rebuild and more a relocation project.

At the time, critics called those concerns exaggerated.

Now? National conversations around tampering, NIL influence, and transfer portal ethics are putting a spotlight on the exact behavior Louisiana fans were criticized for questioning. Reports connecting Texas Tech’s recruiting approach to possible improper contact with players before portal entry have fueled wider scrutiny around the program.

Importantly, allegations are not convictions. Texas Tech has not been found guilty of NCAA violations, and multiple individuals connected to the reporting have denied wrongdoing.

But perception matters in college athletics. And the perception around Texas Tech softball has shifted dramatically over the last year.

That shift matters because it validates what many Louisiana fans were actually saying from the beginning: this didn’t feel like a normal coaching transition. It felt coordinated. Aggressive. Transactional.

And while Texas Tech undeniably won games and reached the Women’s College World Series final, the criticism never centered on whether Glasco could coach. He clearly can. His résumé at Louisiana and Texas Tech proves that.

The criticism centered on culture.

Louisiana softball was built over decades on continuity, development, and identity. The fear among Cajuns fans was that Glasco abandoned that philosophy in favor of constructing a roster through portal leverage, NIL spending, and established relationships. When Lane described Texas Tech as a program trying to “transfer winning” instead of build it organically, people laughed.

Today, plenty around the softball world are asking similar questions.

Even on social media and softball forums, the discussion has evolved beyond simple jealousy accusations. Fans from multiple programs have openly debated whether Texas Tech represents the future of college softball, or a warning sign about where the sport is heading.

And here’s the part Louisiana fans understand better than anyone: This rebuild in Lafayette is different specifically because of Gerry Glasco’s exit.

Most coaching changes leave scars. This one left structural damage. Louisiana didn’t just lose a coach; it lost veteran players, continuity, recruiting momentum, and stability all at once. This rebuild isn’t difficult simply because a successful coach departed. It‘s difficult because the departure itself accelerated the collapse.

That distinction matters.

Ragin Review wasn’t angry that Glasco succeeded. We were angry about the precedent his departure represented.

In hindsight, the article that drew ridicule may have simply arrived before the rest of the softball world caught up to the conversation.

Maybe the tone was harsh. Maybe the wording was emotional. But the core argument that Texas Tech’s rise came with ethical questions and collateral damage left behind in Lafayette no longer feels outrageous.

It feels increasingly plausible.

And whether people agreed with Lane  or not, one thing is becoming harder to deny: He may have seen this story coming long before everyone else did.