Southeast football begins a new era with Coach 'Tuke'

Several days ago Southeast Missouri State University athletic director Mark Alnutt introduced his new football coach.

Tom Matukewicz, former defensive coordinator at Toledo as well as a former coach at Southern Illinois University, certainly made a good impression at the news conference.

Matukewicz clearly indicated he has a lot of passion for the game of football, wanting to be a coach since his junior high days. He said it was a dream come true to finally have his own team.

"For me, to put it in an athlete perspective, this is like getting drafted," Matukewicz said at the news conference. "Since I was 12 years old, I dreamed about the day that I could meet my own team, which I did 30 minutes ago. This is truly a dream come true, and I'm really, really excited to be your head football coach."

Matukewicz replaced Tony Samuel, who was fired after his team finished 3-9 last season and has won three games in each of the last three seasons after a spectacular run in 2010, in which Samuel earned several coaching awards. We wish Samuel, a classy person, the best as he moves on to the next chapter of his career.

Alnutt hired Matukewicz on his own. He asked the university president to let him make the hire, and Alnutt used his connections to make the search.

We hope Coach "Tuke" is just what the Redhawks need. The Southeast football team has not been competitive on a consistent basis for more than a decade, despite a number of different coaches. We hope the dual forces of Matukewicz's passion and Alnutt's vision propel the team to a higher level of competitiveness in the OVC.

Good luck to both men, and all involved in the football program.