The Southeast Missouri State soccer coaching staff is now totally a family affair.
It was announced Wednesday that, following a national search, Paul Nelson has been hired as the Redhawks' new associate head coach.
Nelson, the husband of Redhawks head coach Heather Nelson, has been a volunteer assistant for his wife since she started the Southeast program in 1999.
Paul Nelson now begins a full-time position after the resignation of Beth Guccione, who moved on following four seasons as Southeast's full-time assistant.
"We had several good applicants, but none could match Paul's experience and his familiarity with our program," Heather Nelson said in a release from the university.
Paul Nelson played 13 seasons of professional soccer beginning in 1977 and he spent considerable time in the North American Soccer League, which was at the time the best professional league in the United States.
Paul Nelson also served as a coach for British Columbia Soccer, an amateur organization. His coaching successes included winning the 1991 Western Canadian Championships and the 1993 Canada Games. He was also an assistant coach for Canada's Olympic squad in 1994.
In addition to being a volunteer assistant at Southeast the past seven years, Paul Nelson has been heavily involved with the Southeast Missouri Soccer Club, which includes over 300 youth soccer players.
The Nelsons, who have three daughters -- Jordan, 9, Taylor, 5, and Justi, 1 -- have teamed up to lead Southeast to a seven-year record of 78-37-12, including six straight winning seasons.
Prior to her stint at Southeast, Heather Nelson was the head coach at Florida State for four seasons. Paul Nelson served as an assistant with the Seminoles during that time.
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