SE NARROWS SEARCH FOR HEAD FOOTBALL COACH TO 4 FINALISTS

Southeast Missouri State University Athletic Director Don Kaverman announced Friday the four finalists for the position of head football coach at Southeast.

They are Richard Wilson, passing-game coordinator at Oklahoma State University; Phillip Meyer, quarterback coach at Iowa State University; Timothy Billings, defensive coordinator at Marshall University; and John Shannon, offensive coordinator at Jackson State University.

The four candidates will visit the Southeast campus for interviews over the next 10 days. Wilson will visit Southeast on Monday, Meyer on Tuesday, Billings on Thursday and Shannon on Dec. 20. The four finalists will participate in day-long interviews, meeting with the search committee, athletic department staff, Kaverman, Southeast President Ken Dobbins, Southeast Boosters, public and media.

"I was very encouraged by the candidate pool," Kaverman said. "It was challenging narrowing it down. We had highly qualified individuals. All four of the finalists are exceptional. All of them come highly recommended as both individuals and football people. We think we have a wonderful opportunity to select an outstanding football coach for Southeast. All of the finalists are very excited about this opportunity and very much want this position."

Wilson has served as passing-game coordinator at Oklahoma State since 1995. There, he is responsible for receivers and for recruiting in several cities and regions. Prior to his tenure at Oklahoma State, Wilson served as assistant head coach/offensive coordinator at Eastern Michigan University, and as an assistant football coach at Clemson University, University of Arkansas and The Citadel. As an assistant coach, Wilson helped take teams to the Alamo Bowl, Citrus Bowl, Hall of Fame Bowl and Cotton Bowl. The Citadel went to the 1-AA playoffs in 1988, during Wilson's tenure with that institution. In addition, Wilson was a junior-varsity head coach at the University of Missouri-Columbia from 1984 to 1986 and coached high school football for three years.

Meyer has served as quarterback coach at Iowa State University for one year. Prior to that, he served at Iowa State for three years as tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. Meyer is no stranger to Southeast. He was offensive and special teams coordinator at Southeast from 1984-89, during which the team earned the distinction of MIAA Conference co-champion in 1987-88.

Meyer has also been offensive coordinator at Illinois State University; assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator at Southern Illinois University; and offensive line/part-time assistant at the University of Illinois, during which time the Fighting Illini participated in the Liberty Bowl and Rose Bowl and were the 1983 Big Ten champions. He has served as a guest coach with teams in the Canadian Football League and has coached high school football in Wisconsin.

Billings has served as defensive coordinator, assistant coach responsible for linebackers and defensive linemen and special teams coordinator at Marshall University since 1991. Marshall has had the winningest college football program in the country in the 1990s. During Billings' tenure there, Marshall has three times participated in the Motor City Bowl, been included in the Top 25 final season rankings and been named Mid American Conference champions. During his years there, Marshall also participated in the Division I-AA championship game five times.

Prior to his tenure at Marshall, Billings was the assistant offensive coordinator, assistant coach and assistant recruiting coordinator at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Billings also has served as a graduate assistant responsible for running backs at the University of Oklahoma and a graduate assistant responsible for defensive backs at Missouri. He has also coached high school football.

Shannon has been coaching at the college level for 22 years. He has been offensive coordinator at Jackson State University since 1994, during which time they participated in the I-AA playoffs three times and were conference champions twice. At Jackson State, Shannon coached nationally ranked, all-conference and all-American quarterbacks and receivers.

Prior to his tenure at Jackson State, Shannon served as assistant coach at the University of Maryland, offensive coordinator at the University of Pacific, offensive coordinator at Morehead State, assistant head coach at Wayne State University, assistant head coach at Maryville College and assistant coach at Western Kentucky University. He has had success recruiting throughout many parts of the country, with most of his emphasis in the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-South and deep south states along with California, Virginia prep schools and junior colleges nationally.

The search committee is expected to meet again on Dec. 21 to discuss results of the interviews. Kaverman is expected to make a recommendation on the top candidate shortly thereafter.

The search committee narrowed down a list of more than 40 applicants to the four finalists.

Members of the search committee are boosters Jim Limbaugh and Jim Rust; faculty athletic representative Dr. Georganne Syler; student athlete representative Isaac Powell; assistant men's basketball coach Anthony Beane; and Kaverman.

Southeast is searching for a new head football coach following the recent resignation of John Mumford, who submitted his resignation Nov. 22, effective at the conclusion of his contract on Jan. 31, 2000.

FOOTBALL FINALISTS

*Richard Wilson, passing-game coordinator at Oklahoma State

*Phillip Meyer, quarterback coach at Iowa State

*Timothy Billings, defensive coordinator at Marshall

*John Shannon, offensive coordinator at Jackson State