Shafer climbs out on limb to pick Nutt

John Shafer's sitting on a limb, and only he knows the strength of that limb.

Shafer wanted to go it alone on hiring the next Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach, and he was granted his wish.

Shafer chose a coach with a .503 career winning percentage at a Sun Belt Conference school.

If Dickey Nutt leads the Redhawks to Ohio Valley Conference titles and the NCAA tournament, Shafer will look like a shrewd evaluator of talent that can spot coaching talent as well as anyone.

But if Nutt doesn't string together some winning seasons, Shafer has no one to share the blame.

Not a search committee.

Not university president Ken Dobbins.

Nutt was Shafer's choice and Shafer's alone.

"I knew there had to be a hire, but that was not discussed during the time I was hired," Shafer said. "When I got here, Dr. Dobbins and I had a discussion about which direction, how did we want to do this. And I asked if I could make the hire myself. I feel very strongly that that's what I do."

Dobbins went along with the plan to avoid public forums because of the timing. He said he spoke individually with board of regents members and they were on board with the plan.

"Because of the timing, it was before the [NCAA] tournament, you can't get the coaches here for a public forum," Dobbins said. "That's really the main thing because we need to have him out on the road. ... That's why it was done this way."

Dobbins said that contrary to the opinion of some, he's left high-profile coaching hires to the athletic director during his tenure. He made a point to say Scott Edgar was Don Kaverman's choice, so it wasn't a reach to let Shafer make the final decision this time.

"He has 30 years experience in a variety of levels of athletics," Dobbins said. "He's been there and knows a lot of folks and has a lot of contacts that can evaluate very, very well."

Shafer identified five areas that were important to him in the coaching search. He wanted someone with impeccable character and integrity, someone who could recruit, someone who could coach and knew how to win, someone who cared about the student-athletes and someone who would fit into the athletic department.

As Shafer listed off each area during Thursday's news conference, he said Nutt filled each requirement. What's interesting is that Shafer never had met Nutt until recently. Yet it was Shafer who called Nutt six to eight weeks ago to see if he'd be interested in the position.

"I initiated contact with coach Nutt," Shafer said. "I absolutely had never met him until we visited at my home."

Shafer had 111 applications for the position, according to Dobbins, and Shafer said Nutt shined above all the others. Shafer refused to name the other finalists or even give a number of finalists. He said he got his guy and that's all that matters.

He claims that Nutt's 189-187 record at Arkansas State bolster's the new coach's qualifications for the Southeast job.

"That's a heck of a lot better than it is here in a tougher league," Shafer said. "So he was recruiting better folks to compete in that league than here. Also look at the full body of work. You have ups and downs at this level.

"It's hard to sustain a championship team every year. So knowing that and looking at a situation and knowing that he'd been on a limited budget, knowing that when he went in there at Arkansas State it was in disarray, knowing it was a similar situation here. Then when I met him, a no-brainer."

Nutt sounded convincing in his introduction Thursday. He combined the high-octane energy of a preacher with the pitch of a car salesman. He even sported a Redhawks lapel pin and bright red tie with his gray suit.

He talked about getting the community involved and mentioned by name Scott County Central boys basketball coach Ronnie Cookson and Three Rivers Community College men's basketball coach Gene Bess.

He's saying the right things in the early going and looks the part. Shafer better hope that continues because Nutt is his guy and his alone. Shafer's success at Southeast will be judged by Nutt's success or failure because Nutt was his choice and his alone.

Kevin Winters Morriss is sports editor of the Southeast Missourian.