SOURCE: BILLINGS IS NEXT SE FOOTBALL COACH

Sources have told the Southeast Missourian that Marshall defensive coordinator Tim Billings will become Southeast Missouri State University's new head football coach.

Billings will likely be formally introduced as the Indians' coach Thursday during a press conference on the Southeast campus.

Sources told the Missourian that Billings was offered the job Tuesday and, after details of the contract and other items were worked out, he accepted the position.

There had been some speculation that, even if Billings was offered the job, he might not accept unless he was assured that Southeast administrators are willing to seriously step up the school's commitment to improving a struggling program.

The fact that Billings is accepting the challenge to try and turn the football Indians around seems to indicate an increased commitment by the university.

Billings, 42, has been at Marshall for the past 10 seasons, working his way up to defensive coordinator this year.

At Marshall, Billings has been part of an amazing turnaround. The Thundering Herd were among the country's worst football programs in the 1970s and 1980s, having the longest losing streak in the nation at one point.

But in the 1990s, Marshall has been the country's winningest program. The Thundering Herd played for six Division I-AA national championships in seven years, capped by their second national title in 1996.

The next season, Marshall made the move up to the I-A level, where the Thundering Herd have continued to thrive. They have won 34 games over the past three years, including this season's 12-0 mark.

Marshall, ranked 11th nationally, will play Brigham Young in Monday's Motor City Bowl. Billings is expected to coach in that contest before officially turning all his attention to Southeast.

Billings reportedly has already lined up many of the coaches for his new staff, including offensive and defensive coordinators. Several current assistants at Marshall are expected to join Billings at Southeast.

Billings, who has also been an assistant coach at Missouri, has strong ties to Cape Girardeau. His late wife, the former Terri Eifert, was from Cape and her parents still live here. Terri Eifert died of cancer last year.

Billings was one of four finalists for the Southeast position, the others being Oklahoma State passing game coordinator Richard Wilson, Iowa State quarterback coach Phil Meyer and Jackson State offensive coordinator John Shannon.

Southeast has gone 3-8 in each of the past two seasons and the Indians went 40-70 in 10 years under John Mumford, who resigned following this year's season finale.