COACH'S VIEW: SE EXCITED ABOUT TRIP TO MARSHALL

I know that many of you are wondering why we are playing Marshall in our season opener and in my first game as a head coach.

When I came here, we were scheduled to open at home against Truman State, a Division II opponent that we would have a good chance to defeat. That seemed like a good way for me to start my coaching career, with a good probability of victory.

Coach (Bob) Pruett called me from Marshall and wanted to know if we would like to open our season in their newly expanded 40,000 seat stadium.

I had to weigh playing a Division II school that we can probably beat against playing on the road against a top 10 team in Division I-A.

I decided to take the Marshall game for four basic reasons. First of all, we receive a $120,000 guarantee that will benefit the entire athletic program at Southeast, including football.

Second, I wanted to let my players know that we are raising the bar on expectations. I see no better way to make the point than by playing a top 10 team.

Third, the game will be regionally televised, with the telecast going all over West Virginia along with the southeastern Ohio, eastern Kentucky and southwest Virginia areas. We were also granted local rights to the telecast that will be available locally on WDKA-TV.

The television coverage will be great for our football program, our athletic department and the entire university. The television coverage will be a big boost for our recruiting efforts.

Fourth, playing at a major football power like Marshall will give our administration, coaches, players and fans a chance to see how Marshall got to where they are today. They had the television package, facilities and support when they were dominating Division I-AA football. Marshall has been where we want to take this football program.

When Marshall was moving to the top of Division I-AA and then on to I-A, enrollment increased from 9,000 to 14,000 students. The exposure the football team gained enhanced enrollment, the prestige and visibility of the university and created an increased awareness and pride in the community.

Surveys show that a football weekend at Marshall generates over $1 million for the Huntington, W.Va., area.

A winning football program along with an already successful basketball program can do the same things for Southeast and the entire area. Everyone can benefit --the university can gain enrollment and the community can see financial gains and our entire state and area can have pride in our accomplishments.

Now we have to play the game. I'm real excited about going back to Marshall for my first game as a head coach, and more importantly our players are excited about playing a nationally ranked team in front of 40,000 fans and a regional television audience.

I have a lot of good friends in Huntington. I was there for 10 years, which is the longest I've lived anywhere since I left high school.

I know Marshall's personnel and style of play. They have great players. I am excited for our players and I'm not scared at all. I'm not worried about how good Marshall is, I'm just focused on having our team ready to do the things we can do. We don't want to give them anything.

I hope our coaches have given our players all the tools they need to be successful. The players just have to do the things they can do.

Our players have worked very hard and they believe in me and my coaching staff. I just want to leave Huntington with our players having that same feeling, knowing that we are headed in the right direction and that we can reach our goals for the season.

It is a great opportunity. I hope you will all be watching and listening to the game.

Tim Billings is in his first season as the head football coach at Southeast Missouri State University