Louisiana
Louisiana Sports Pioneer Ed Daniels Passes Away, Leaving Behind a Legendary Legacy – GeauxPreps – Louisiana High School Sports
by: Vincent Cacioppo // GeauxPreps.com Managing Editor
Ed Daniels, a legendary figure in New Orleans sports broadcasting, has passed away, leaving behind a permanent mark on the Louisiana high school sports community. With a career spanning over 40 years, Daniels became a familiar face to countless Louisiana high school sports fans. His journey began at WDSU-TV, but it was at WGNO-TV where he truly made his mark, serving as the station’s first and only sports director for 33 years.
While many sports departments focused on professional and college sports, Daniels was a tireless advocate for Louisiana high school athletics. He was the driving force behind the popular “Friday Night Football” show, which brought the excitement of high school sports into the homes of viewers. The show’s success led to the creation of two other programs: “Friday Night Sports,” covering winter events, and “Friday Night Fastball,” which highlighted baseball, softball, and other spring sports.
Daniels’ commitment to high school sports extended beyond television. In 2011, he along with others launched the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic basketball tournament. What began as a 16-team boys’ tournament evolved into a premier event with five different brackets for boys and girls. This success inspired similar events in baseball and 7-on-7 football, with a new volleyball event set to debut this fall.
Daniels’ contributions to high school athletics were recognized by his alma mater, Archbishop Rummel High School, which inducted him into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013. He was also honored by De La Salle High School with a place in its athletic hall of fame.
LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine praised Daniels as a pioneer in high school sports recognition and promotion, noting that his “Friday Night Football” show was among the most-watched programs in Louisiana. Bonine added, “Ed was a professional… a true reporter who loved what he did when covering not only high school but college and professional sports across our great state. He will be missed, but his legendary career will never be forgotten.”
Ed was as genuine as they come. I’m incredibly thankful to have known him. He was a constant professional, and extremely courteous, but most of all, he was a kind and compassionate soul who touched the lives of everyone he met.
There’s a quote by Nick Saban that has always stuck with me, “People aren’t going to remember what you say, they’re going to remember how you made them feel.”
Ed Daniels embodied this sentiment, leaving a legacy not just in his words coming through your television, but in the way he made everyone around him feel truly valued.
Ed Daniels’ legacy as a champion for high school athletics will endure, even as the community mourns his loss.
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Louisiana will receive $18.9 million in federal grants for hurricane recovery, Sen. John Kennedy announced Thursday (May 14).
Funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will support disaster recovery efforts and repairs in communities impacted by Hurricanes Ida and Francine.
Kennedy said the funding will support Lafourche, Jefferson and Terrebonne parishes, as well as the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
The grants include $8.8 million to the Greater Lafourche Port Commission for permanent repairs from Hurricane Ida.
Jefferson Parish will receive $5.3 million for management costs from Hurricane Ida.
Terrebonne Parish will receive $2.6 million for debris removal operations from Hurricane Francine.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development will receive $2.2 million for debris removal operations from Hurricane Francine.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.
GOP-led states sending hundreds of additional National Guard troops to DC
Three GOP governors have pledged to send hundreds more National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to aid Trump’s federalization of the city.
Straight Arrow News
Louisiana National Guard soldiers have returned to Washington, D.C., on a second deployment as part of President Trump’s continued crackdown on crime in the nation’s capital.
Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington nine months ago to trigger deployments of states’ National Guard troops to the capital.
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry first sent a contingent of Louisiana soldiers to Washington in August 2025. Lt. Col. Noel Collins told USA Today Network on May 13 that all of those soldiers returned to Louisiana by the end of December.
Landry’s latest deployment of Louisiana soldiers includes about 125 who began assisting other soldiers and local police May 12.
Louisiana’s soldiers won’t make arrests, but they will patrol high-traffic areas while playing a supporting role for the D.C. National Guard and local police.
The White House has said its capital crime task force has made more than 12,000 arrests since August and seized thousands of illegal guns.
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – A new report shows Louisiana students are making some of the biggest gains in the country, with state education leaders celebrating the progress.
The newest national report card now ranks Louisiana 32nd in the nation, a jump from 49th in 2019.
“Louisiana is no longer about Louisiana simply believes, but for K-12 education, Louisiana achieves,” said state Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley.
The jump comes mainly from improved reading and math scores, making Louisiana the only state that has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Gov. Jeff Landry said the achievement comes at an opportune time for the generation to capitalize on economic developments coming to the state.
“These young men and women are going to get an opportunity we have never had. These kids get to grow up in a new Louisiana at a time when they are getting the education they need,” Landry said.
Brumley said the focus is now on attendance, more tutoring, higher teacher pay, and job readiness.
“Tutoring for every kid to get a little extra help if they need it; differentiated pay so we can target pay in a very precise way to those teachers doing great work for kids; and in the elevation in career and technical education,” Brumley said.
While leaders are celebrating, Brumley said the real work is keeping that momentum.
“Louisiana doesn’t have to be last. Indeed, we can be number one. We will continue to see great results,” Brumley said.
Click here to report a typo. Please include the headline.
Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Watch the latest WAFB news and weather now.
-
Vermont4 minutes ago
VT Lottery Gimme 5, Pick 3 results for May 14, 2026
-
Virginia10 minutes agoHonking on the highway: Family of geese escorted off I-66 in Virginia
-
Washington16 minutes agoSuspect arrested in fatal stabbing of University of Washington student
-
Wisconsin22 minutes agoWisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for May 14, 2026
-
West Virginia28 minutes agoWest Virginia Yeager International Airport launches ‘Behind the Journey’ campaign
-
Wyoming34 minutes agoWHSAA warns of possible changes to statewide athletics and activities following budget cuts
-
Crypto40 minutes agoUS and Bolivia Target the ‘Modern Pablo Escobar’ in Massive Crypto Laundering Probe
-
Finance46 minutes agoCasino Group Communication