Southland Conference

HAMMOND, La. - Dennis Roland, who spent two seasons as head football coach at Southeastern Louisiana University and served as the school's interim Director of Athletics, died Tuesday morning after a nearly three-year battle with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. He was 51.

Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. EST at First Baptist Church in Roland's hometown of Cochran, Ga. Visitation is set for Friday beginning at 6 p.m. EST at Fisher Funeral Home in Cochran.

Roland, who helped revive Southeastern's football program in 2003 as offensive line coach under Hal Mumme, passed away at Northside Hospital-Forsyth in Cumming, Ga. Roland, who returned to Southeastern in 2005 after spending one season as head coach at North Gwinnett (Ga.) High School spent the past season as head coach at Central Gwinnett High.

Roland, who replaced Mumme as the school's 13th head coach in 2005, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in May of 2005 and guided Southeastern through an adverse season later that year after the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. The storm hit the Louisiana-Mississippi Gulf Coast in August and damaged or destroyed over a dozen of his players' homes who lived in the area.

After finishing the season with a 4-6 record, 13 players were named to the All-Southland Conference team with Josh Taylor earning All-America honors.

Roland, who would later be named Interim Director of Athletics, missed the majority of the 2006 season after his illness, which had gone into remission late in 2005, returned.

He is survived by his wife, Diane, and two children, son Dennis, Jr., and daughter Dana.