Southeast welcomes Shafer with reception

Gifts were exchanged, jokes were cracked and the John Shafer era began unofficially Saturday afternoon with his first public appearance since being named Southeast Missouri State's athletic director back on Dec. 16.

Shafer officially begins his duties Feb. 1.

And he will have plenty on his plate -- the struggling men's basketball program has a coaching vacancy and a pending appearance before the NCAA Committee on Infractions, the school plans to fill the newly created position of associate athletic director for external operations, and the department will be part of the university's strategic planning initiative this year.

The challenges were addressed during Saturday's reception at the Show Me Center before Southeast's basketball doubleheader with Eastern Illinois, but Shafer took on the tone of a coach giving a pregame speech in a crowded meeting room.

"This is an exciting time to be here," Shafer said. "There's a lot of decisions that have to be made and a lot of things that have to be done -- together.

"Together, all of us can do it. If we all get on the same page, all of us can do it. We can't do it without the people in this room. We have to do this together."

Shafer, 62, said he was "very moved, surprised, pleased" by the number of boosters, coaches and administrators who came to greet him.

Currently living in Auburn, Ala., and working in semi-retirement for a commercial developer, Shafer previously worked as AD at Ole Miss and Eastern Kentucky and spent nearly two decades as an athletics administrator at the University of Georgia.

During the reception, Shafer presented a Southeast Missouri Redhawks cross-stitch made by his wife, Dianne, to university president Dr. Kenneth Dobbins.

"We want to show the respect and admiration we have for you and the university," Shafer said.

In return, Dobbins presented Shafer with a jacket and hat and gave Shafer's wife of 39 years a red winter vest. Shafer had said he was recognized during this visit to Cape Girardeau even though he was wearing a warmup suit given to him by his son, the women's basketball coach at Richmond.

"I think this looks better than the University of Richmond," Dobbins said after helping Shafer into a Redhawks jacket.

Questioned about what his first priority would be after the men's basketball position, Shafer said, "Look at the budget. Find ways maybe where we can make things work better. Corporate sponsors."

He expected to get up to speed quickly before Southeast's hearing before the NCAA Committee on Infractions in April, which will mark the school's second appearance before the NCAA in 13 months.

Shafer said he has reviewed applicants for the associate AD position, but spoke with Dobbins about "slowing down that process" and focusing on basketball first.

"I think it's the most prudent thing to do," Shafer said. "I don't want to make a bad decision on either one. And I want to make the decision because it's that important to me. That person is a hire who is going to be really involved in development at a time when the university and the athletic department really needs private dollars."