Ishee is hopeful of new contract

~ The Southeast women's basketball team struggled during the 2009-10 season

The status of Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach John Ishee still is up in the air days after the Redhawks ended one of the worst seasons in program history.

Ishee, who just finished his fourth season at Southeast, is in the final year of his contract that expires April 30. He said Tuesday he has been given no indication that he won't be back but also hasn't been told that he will be asked to return.

Ishee emphatically said he would like to continue in his current job.

"I enjoy my position and I like our team," he said.

Southeast athletic director John Shafer said Tuesday that he will meet with Ishee soon to discuss Ishee's future with the program. Ishee has been on the road recruiting this week while Shafer also will be out of town most of the week.

"We'll visit about the program and where we are, my guess in the next week to 10 days," Shafer said. "We'll visit and make a decision from that.

"A lot or things will factor into any decision we make. It has to do with a lot of different factors."

As for this season, which was marked by injury and inexperience, Shafer said: "They had a very young team. It's hard for young people, freshmen, the speed of the game in all sports is different. There are factors you just can't help some times."

Southeast's women went 7-21 overall and a last-place 4-14 in the 10-team Ohio Valley Conference as the Redhawks matched the program record for losses in a season and missed the OVC tournament for the first time since the 1996-97 campaign.

The Redhawks had nine freshmen and just one senior among their 13 players. They showed some early promise before suffering several key injuries. They ended the year with nine consecutive defeats.

After a slow start, the Redhawks won their first two OVC home games in early January to even their conference record at 2-2 and improve to 5-8 overall.

But freshman guard Jasmine Davis and junior forward Lauren Sharpe never took the court again because of injuries.

Sharpe was Southeast's top returning player while Davis was the Redhawks' leading scorer with a 10-point average. Another top player, freshman forward Bailie Roberts, missed six games with an injury.

Without Davis and Sharpe, and with Roberts missing extensive time, Southeast lost 12 of its final 14 OVC games and 13 of its last 15 overall.

"The injuries really hurt us, no question about it," said Ishee, who added that he believes the Redhawks will rebound next season.

"We just had a bad season, but I feel good about our program," Ishee said.

This year marked Ishee's first losing season at Southeast. His record with the Redhawks is 69-53, but it was 62-32 over his first three years.

Ishee led the Redhawks to consecutive OVC regular-season titles in his first two seasons, when they went 47-17. Southeast also won the OVC tournament to advance to the NCAA tournament during Ishee's first season, then received a WNIT berth during his second campaign.

Southeast dipped to 15-15 and a fifth-place OVC tie last year before this season's struggles.

Ishee believes his full body of work at Southeast should warrant him continuing as the Redhawks' coach.

"In my mind, sure," he said.

In addition to all the players eligible to return next season, Ishee signed heralded forward Brooke Taylor from Bismarck (Mo.) High School early. Ishee said he might sign one more player.