NATCHITOCHES—For new Northwestern State president James T. Genovese, playing men's tennis at NSU was a stepping stone for being able to represent the university out in the open.

Genovese, who was formally introduced as the 21^st president of his alma mater, was a four-year letterwinner in tennis, competing at both the No. 1 singles and doubles.

A Louisiana Supreme Court Associate Justice, Genovese was selected last Thursday by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors.

At first, he didn't know if he wanted to throw his hat in the ring to be the next NSU president. Ultimately, he decided to, as he is celebrated for his leadership.

"President Genovese is a leader and a winner," Natchitoches Parish District Attorney Billy Joe Harrington told the crowd at the Sylvan Friedman Student Union Ballroom. "If you look up the definition of exuberance, you're looking at it."

Genovese was grateful for the outpouring of support the university gave to him since he was announced as the next leader of the university.

"I've never seen support like I had for this," he said. "I have had difficulty sleeping at night. Seeing the excitement of the students is great. They are the lifeblood of this institution."

Genovese earned his bachelor's degree from NSU in 1971 before earning a juris doctorate from Loyola (La.) University in 1974.

He has been an associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court since 2017.

He began his judicial career began as a judge ad hoc of the Opelousas City Court from 1975 to 1989 before making stops at the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court for the Parish of St. Landry and the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal.
But his heart is always with athletics and aims to help NSU be back on top in the Southland Conference.

"It is great to have a former student-athlete as our new president," head football coach Blaine McCorkle said. "Not so much what we are going through as coaches, but he understands our student-athletes and the demands on them and what they have to do.

"He put a little pressure on me to win football games and I am all for that. We're on the same page. We came here eight months ago to do the same thing. I am excited for what he said and getting to work with him."

Genovese is eager to start and be able to turn NSU back into an athletic force, and not only what competing at the university does for people on the field or court, but in life as well.

"One thing athletics teaches you is you learn how to win, and you learn how to lose and you learn how to handle defeat," Genovese said. "If you are playing sports with people, you get to learn their true personality.

"It teaches you lessons of life, because you know how to win and lose and handle it all. Not only does athletics bring money into the university, but it also builds character."

Genovese quoted the great Vince Lombardi by saying "I am not a loser and I don't intend to be one now."

"I don't expect to win the championship every year, but what I do expect is for us to be competitive every year."

Genovese follows a three-year stint as the president for Dr. Marcus Jones. Even though Jones is no longer at NSU, the new president is grateful for helping him smooth the transition.

"Dr. Jones invited me over to the president's house and he has been great for me, helping the transition. He has wonderful to me and will always be there for me."

Prior to being introduced as the school's 21^st president, he took a look and visited his old stomping grounds at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex. While the courts look a bit differently from when he last took to the court, the memories came flooding back to him as soon as he stepped on the court.

"I wanted to re-live it one more time, walking off the court for the last time in May of 1971, all the sweat and blood that I left on the court for Northwestern," he said.

It was a wonderful experience and it gave chills up and down my spine, much like today."

As president, Genevese knows what he has to do to bring NSU back to prominence, and Tuesday is just the start.

"It is a stream of dominoes," Genevese said. I see the first one and pluck that first domino and then watch all the others fall."