Former Southeast Missouri State women's basketball player, Blunt, returns to lead compliance department

~ Dexter native Rachel Blunt played for the Southeast women's basketball team

Former Southeast Missouri State women's basketball player Rachel Blunt is back at the university.

The Dexter, Mo., native was announced Monday as Southeast's new assistant athletic director for compliance.

Blunt, who earned a bachelor of science degree in sport management in 2009 and a master's of business administration in finance in 2011 -- both from Southeast -- will head the Redhawks' compliance department.

Blunt will be responsible for student-athletes and coaches NCAA rules education, financial aid, recruiting and eligibility. She will also be involved with Southeast's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Blunt returns to her alma mater after serving as the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga's director of compliance since January of this year. While at UTC, Blunt oversaw the Mocs' NCAA, Southern Conference and university rules compliance within the athletic department.

"I'm very pleased to announce Rachel Blunt as our assistant athletic director for compliance," Southeast director of athletics Mark Alnutt said in a release. "Rachel is from this region and was a former Southeast basketball student-athlete. She started her career in compliance here under the guidance and mentorship of Brady Barke.

"She excelled in this role before leading the compliance department at Chattanooga. We are so grateful to have her back at Southeast. She will do a tremendous job for us and I'm proud to welcome Rachel back home."

Blunt started working in the Redhawks' compliance office as a graduate assistant in 2009. After receiving her master's degree, she became Southeast's compliance assistant in 2011, a position she held through December of 2012.

Blunt played basketball for the Redhawks during one of their most successful periods. Southeast won regular season Ohio Valley Conference championships in 2007 and 2008. The 2006-07 squad earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament while the 2007-08 squad qualified for the WNIT. She set the school record for most games played.

Blunt, who will start her new position on June 17, will replace Barke. He will become the university's senior associate to the president and secretary to the Board of Regents effective June 1.