Matukewicz hires offensive coordinator for Southeast Missouri State football team

New Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz laid a key brick in the rebuilding process of the Redhawks on Monday by announcing the hiring of Sherard Poteete as offensive coordinator.

Poteete had been the head coach and offensive coordinator for one season at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, a school in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference. He had formerly played quarterback for the Golden Norsemen before transferring to play at SIU Carbondale.

"We are very excited to hire a coach and person of Sherard's caliber," Matukewicz stated in a news release. "I knew him as a player and a coach and he has a lot of experience. Our offense will be in good hands."

Before assuming the job at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Poteete held the offensive coordinator job at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, for three years. While at Trinity, his 2010 offense finished fifth in the nation in total yards, according to the release.

He began his coaching career at Louisiana College in 2004, spending six seasons at the school and working his way up to offensive coordinator.

At SIUC, the former quarterback was the 1999 Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year in 1999 and All-MVC in 2000, the release said. He later played four seasons in the Arena Football League.

Matukewicz, who was formerly the defensive coordinator at the University of Toledo, also announced Monday the second hiring of a Rockets assistant in the past week. Eric Burrow, who spent the last two seasons on the staff at Toledo, was named secondary coach. Burrows had worked with Matukewicz and newly hired defensive coordinator Bryce Saia at Toledo. Saia had been the secondary coach for the Rockets before joining Matukewicz at Southeast.

"Eric is a Missouri native who has coached and recruited in the area," Matukewicz said in a release. "He has coached in the Big 12 and Mid-American Conference in addition to working closely with myself and Coach Saia off and on over the last five years."

-- From staff reports