Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach search likely over

Southeast Missouri State apparently has found its next women's basketball coach.

All indications are that former Wisconsin assistant Ty Margenthaler will take over the program. He is expected to be introduced at a news conference on campus before the end of the week.

Margenthaler, reached at his home Tuesday night in Madison, Wis., stopped short of saying he would be the Redhawks' next coach.

"I think there's a great chance, but I'd like to have Mr. Shafer say that," said Margenthaler, referring to Southeast director of athletics John Shafer.

But Margenthaler said he was coming to Cape Girardeau today, a little more than one week after his first campus interview. Two other finalists also were interviewed on campus last week.

"I'm excited, no question about it," Margenthaler said. "I think the opportunity is outstanding, the location, the facilities, the community, the support.

"I think it's a win-win situation. It's a great, great situation. I see great things happening."

Margenthaler, a 1997 SIU-Edwardsville graduate, was an assistant at Wisconsin the past five seasons. He served as the Badgers' recruiting coordinator.

Margenthaler came to Wisconsin from Bradley, where he was an assistant from 2000 through 2006. He also was an assistant for two years at SIU-Edwardsville following his only head coaching post, at Roxana (Ill.) High School.

Margenthaler, a native of Macomb, Ill., played at SIU-Edwardsville under his father, Jack, who coached 11 seasons at SIU-E following a 15-year stint at Western Illinois.

Two other finalists interviewed at Southeast last week were TCU assistant Brian Ostermann and Dayton assistant Angie Russell.

Sources confirmed that Ostermann was told Tuesday by Southeast administrators that he did not get the job. Russell could not be reached for comment.

Southeast is in the market for a women's basketball coach after John Ishee's contract was not renewed six weeks ago.