BILLINGS OFFERS MARSHALL PLAN FOR SE

Tim Billings' desire to become Southeast Missouri State University's new head football coach is part personal as well as professional.

Billings' late wife, the former Terri Eifert, was from Cape Girardeau, and her parents still live here. Billings can think of nothing better than to have his two young children close to two of their grandparents.

"That's one of the ingredients in the formula," said Billings, who added with emphasis, "But if I didn't think Cape was a great situation and a great opportunity to win, I wouldn't be interested."

Billings, the defensive coordinator for undefeated Marshall and one of four finalists for the vacant Southeast coaching position, was in town Thursday for a day-long series of interviews that culminated with a public meeting at the University Center.

"I've visited Cape a lot," said Billings. "I have some good friends here. I've always enjoyed the community. It's a great town, with some great people."

You couldn't really blame Billings if he wanted to get a job in Cape Girardeau simply to help make his life a little easier. Ever since his wife, who he met in St. Louis while coaching at Missouri in the late 1980s, died of cancer last year, Billings has raised 10-year-old daughter Taylor and 5-year-old son Trent alone.

But Billings refuses to take any extra credit for doing something that he feels is his responsibility.

"It's like anything," he said. "On the outside it looks tough, but to me, it's real easy. I don't have any other choice. The kids come first and my job comes second.

"People probably find that hard to believe because I work so much. I don't sleep much. But us three are doing great."

In something of an ironic twist, among the people Billings got to be friends with during his many visits to Cape over the years is John Mumford the man he would be replacing if he gets the Southeast job. Mumford resigned recently after 10 seasons as the Indians' head coach.

"Every time I'd come to Cape, I'd go by the football office because I like to see what other people do," Billings said. "I got to be friends with John, and that's how I got to know the program."

What the 42-year-old Billings has helped Marshall accomplish in his 10 seasons at the West Virginia school is nothing short of sensational.

Billings, a native of the Dallas area, pointed out that Marshall was the country's worst football program in the 1970s and 1980s, having the longest losing streak in the nation at one point.

But in the 1990s, Marshall has been the country's winningest program. The Thundering Herd played for six Division I-AA national championships in seven years, capped by their second national title in 1996.

The next season, Marshall made the move up to the I-A level -- and the Thundering Herd did not miss a beat, winning 34 games over the past three years, including this season's 12-0 mark. Marshall, ranked 11th nationally, will play Brigham Young in the Motor City Bowl Dec. 27.

Billings emphasized that what happened at Marshall on the I-AA can happen at Southeast. He said his goal, if he becomes the next coach of the Indians, would be to lead them to the I-AA national championship.

"I've seen what it takes to win, the commitment it takes," said Billings, who directed a unit that led the nation in scoring defense this year and ranked in the top 10 in total defense. "The biggest thing at Marshall, it wasn't just the coach. It takes everybody, the university, the community, the team.

"I'm not a miracle worker. I can't do it alone. But I have a vision that, together, we can win the national championship. It's going to take all of us together as a family, as a group."

Billings pointed out something that he said makes him as proud as all the games Marshall has won in recent years.

"We won all those games, and we graduated over 80 percent of our players," he said. "We're second in the nation graduating minority players."

Billings -- like Oklahoma State assistant Richard Wilson and Iowa State assistant Phil Meyer during their on-campus visits before him -- appeared to relate well during his public meeting with boosters and players.

Extremely personable -- just like Wilson and Meyer -- Billings drew plenty of laughter when he was asked during the public gathering how antiquated Houck Stadium might hamper his recruiting.

"The stadium we had at Marshall my first two years, this (Houck) looks like the Taj Mahal," he said with a grin. "We're all salesmen. You have to find your positive points and sell that. There are a lot of positives about SEMO. If there weren't, I wouldn't be here."

Finally, somebody asked Billings why he would want to come to Southeast considering he seems to have such an ideal position at Marshall.

"I'm really happy at Marshall. I love my head coach (Bob Pruitt). A lot of people are wanting to leave the schools they're at. I'm not," he said. "But I've known Cape, SEMO, the OVC for a while. At one point, I want to be my own boss.

"My vision is to come here and win a national championship. I believe the resources are here, or I wouldn't be here."