The 87th year of the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club, presented by the Lamarque Motor Company and sponsored by Crescent City Sports, debuts on Tuesday, August 26 at noon at The Cannery on 3803 Toulouse Street in New Orleans with a stellar panel of speakers:
New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans principal owner Gayle Benson
Tulane head football coach Jon Sumrall
LSU Executive Deputy Athletic Director/Executive Director of External Relations Verge Ausberry
Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation President Jay Cicero
Brother Martin Head Football Coach Mark Bonis
Mrs. Benson serves as owner of the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans, among many successful business ventures.
A native of New Orleans, Benson is a generous, highly respected philanthropist and business professional.
In NFL circles, Mrs. Benson serves on the Audit, Business Ventures and Hall of Fame Committees and played a huge role in helping New Orleans land Super Bowl LIX, which was a huge success at The Caesars Superdome February 9, 2025.
In NBA circles, Mrs. Benson serves as a member of the Labor Relations Committee and was named to the NBA Foundation Board of Directors in 2020.
Mrs. Benson also owns GMB Racing Stables and several automotive dealerships, among many ventures.
Deeply spiritual, Benson has also contributed to many faith-based organizations and initiatives and is most prominently involved in the restoration project for the St. Louis Cathedral.
Sumrall enters his second season as head coach of the Green Wave.
It is a return home for Sumrall, who served as a top assistant for the Green Wave from 2012-14.
Sumrall is an accomplished head coach, having guided Troy to a stellar 23-4 record and a pair of Sun Belt Conference championships. Sumrall was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year and was twice named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year honor.
In his first season, Sumrall led the Green Wave to a 9-5 record, an appearance in the American Athletic Conference championship game and the Gasparilla Bowl.
A former star player and student at Kentucky, Sumrall is a native of Huntsville, Alabama.
A native of New Iberia, Ausberry is in his 24th year working at his alma mater.
Ausberry was part of two SEC championship teams and four bowl teams as a linebacker at LSU. In his current role, Ausberry is responsible for formalized planning and processes for the athletic department and daily operations.
Ausberry also serves as the sport administrator for football and basketball and as a liaison for the Tiger Athletic Foundation, LSU Properties and the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes while also serving as Executive Director of External Relations for the LSU System, assisting the Office of the President in external and governmental affairs.
In 2018, Ausberry was recognized as the LSU National L Club Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.
In 35 years of service with the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, Cicero has served nearly 29 years as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the outstanding organization, leading the charge of bringing top national and international sporting events to the New Orleans area.
A graduate of Jesuit High (Shreveport) and Louisiana Tech, Cicero previously served as the original General Manager of the Triple A New Orleans Zephyrs minor league baseball team, worked in radio locally and worked for the Double A Shreveport Captains minor league team.
In his 17th year as the head coach at Brother Martin, Bonis has led the Crusaders to 119 wins, including a state championship game appearance (2022) and six semifinal appearances. Bonis played football at Jesuit and graduated from Southern Mississippi.
The Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club is grateful to Ronnie Lamarque and The Lamarque Motor Company for his continued support of local football with his presenting sponsorship for the fourth straight year.
The Metairie law firm of Doug Sunseri is sponsoring the Quarterback Club Scholar/Athlete award for a fourth consecutive year.
The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and the New Orleans Bowl returns as the sponsor of the Prep Player of the Week and the year-end award recipients for the 12th consecutive year.
Crescent City Sports is the official media sponsor and management entity of the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club where notice of all meetings are posted regularly.
The Club will meet once per month through December 16, when the annual awards luncheon will take place with all meetings to take place at The Cannery. Lunch is included at each meeting. The third annual Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club Baseball Bash, featuring all area college baseball coaches, will take place January 20.
The weekly cost is $30 for members and $40 for non-members, which includes lunch. Annual membership is just $25.
Use this link to purchase tickets for the August 26 meeting online.
You can also contact Stan Kottemann by phone at (504) 908-6060 or at skotlaw@aol.com.