Billings' coaching staff full of new assistants

Six of the nine coaches are in their first year with the Redhawks.

Coming off a 3-8 season, Southeast Missouri State football coach Tim Billings figures some new blood in the program can't hurt.

Billings has it, not only in the form of about 40 rookie team members -- counting freshmen who redshirted last year -- but also with a revamped coaching staff that counts six newcomers among nine assistants.

"I think new blood is good," said Billings, whose squad is in its second full week of practice as it continues to prepare for the Sept. 1 season opener at home against Southern Illinois. "The new coaches have brought in a lot of enthusiasm."

There is a particularly new look on the defensive side of the ball -- where the Redhawks struggled the most last season -- as all four defensive assistants are in their first year at Southeast.

The new defensive coaches are Joe Dan Rogers (secondary), C.L. Miller III (ends), Derek Hill (tackles) and Paul LaBate (assistant secondary).

Rogers, 29, played defensive back at the University of Oklahoma, where he was an Academic All-Big 12 Conference selection. He was most recently a college scout for the Atlanta Falcons.

Miller, 32, played linebacker and defensive end at Pacific, and he went on to a four-year career in the Arena Football League. He was most recently the defensive line coach at Division II Glenville State in West Virginia.

Hill, 45, was a Division II All-American as a wide receiver and defensive back at Morris Brown College. He was an assistant on several NAIA national championship teams at Central State in Ohio and most recently was the interim defensive coordinator at Florida A&M.

LaBate, 35, is a graduate assistant who coached the offensive line last year at Division II New Mexico Highlands University.

"I think the new coaches are really going to help the defense," said senior tackle Brandon Bohnert. "They've really gotten after it and we're feeding off that."

Billings, 48, will serve as his own defensive coordinator for the second straight season as Damon Bradford continues to serve in Iraq. Billings, who will also handle the linebackers, believes he'll be better equipped to juggle his dual roles this time around.

"Being without Damon has really been tough," said Billings, who was Marshall's defensive coordinator in 1999 when the Thundering Herd went 13-0, finished ranked 10th in Division I-A and featured one of the nation's top-ranked defensive units.

"I'd been a defensive coordinator, but I'd never done both [that and head coach]. I feel a lot more comfortable and think I'll be able to manage my time better."

Offensively, the two new coaches are Rip Flippo (quarterbacks) and Steve Canter (tight ends).

Flippo, 37, played quarterback at Tennessee Tech and Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and he went not to play three years in the European Professional League. He has had a variety of college positions but most recently was the offensive coordinator in the Alabama high school ranks.

Canter, a graduate assistant, was a strength and conditioning graduate assistant at Virginia Tech last year. He played for Virginia Tech from 2001 through 2003 and appeared in three bowl games.

Rogers, Flippo and Miller joined the staff prior to spring practice, while Hill, LaBate and Canter were hired late last month.

Returning staff members are Rob Likens, 37, in his second year as offensive coordinator; Kip Shaw, 35, the Redhawks' assistant head coach and running backs coach who is in his sixth year; and Mike Chavez, 46, in his sixth year as the offensive line coach. Shaw and Chavez have been at Southeast since Billings took over the program.

"I think coach Likens being in his second year now is really going to make a big difference with the offense," said Billings, entering his sixth season. "Overall, I think we've got a pretty good mix on the staff, with a few experienced guys who have been here a while and the new coaches.

"I feel real good about the coaching staff. They're all pretty young and energetic. I think the players have really responded to them. We've got a lot of new players, and a lot of new coaches, so it's kind of like a fresh start for a lot of people."

Only time will tell what kind of an impact it makes on the field.