Harris will serve as lead assistant on Ishee's staff

~ The Redhawks' head coach has filled two of the team's three vacancies.

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach John Ishee is one step closer to filling out his staff after recently hiring a second assistant coach.

Chris Harris, who has been a Division I assistant coach and a head coach at the NAIA and junior college levels, will be Ishee's lead assistant.

Harris spent the past two years as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at NAIA Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tenn. He helped Martin Methodist post a school-record 19 wins last season.

"I'm really excited about Chris coming to Southeast," said Ishee, whose Redhawks posted a 93-53 win over Martin Methodist last season. "He has a lot of experience as a head coach and an assistant coach, and he is a great recruiter.

"I think he will help us with all phases of the program."

Harris, who has 12 years of coaching experience, was an assistant coach at Division I New Mexico State in 2001. He helped the Aggies post their best record in six seasons as they led the nation in made 3-point field goals.

In 1998, as the head coach at Houston Baptist University during the program's first-ever season, he led that team to a 25-9 record, a final NAIA national ranking of No. 25 and a berth in the NAIA national tournament.

A native of Nashville, Tenn., Harris was also a head coach at Connors State Junior College in Warner, Okla., in 2002.

"I've known Chris for a while and I think he'll do a great job for us," Ishee said.

Harris joins Angela Lewis-Moore as Southeast assistant coaches. Lewis-Moore, a former St. Louis University standout player, was hired last month after serving as an assistant at Division III Webster University.

Ishee still has one more assistant position open. He said he hopes to fill that spot within the next month or so.