Southeast will interview two coaching candidates

Southeast Missouri State is apparently closing in on hiring a new women's tennis coach.

Two candidates for the position that opened up when Jay Pacelli recently resigned will be on campus this week for a series of interviews with university administrators.

Southeast assistant athletic director Cindy Gannon, who is heading up the coaching search committee, said Robert Farrington will be in Cape Girardeau today and Jay Wiseman will be in town Wednesday.

Farrington, currently a teaching professional at a tennis center in Aurora, Ill., is a former head men's coach at Division I DePaul in Chicago. His most recent college position was as head women's coach at NAIA Robert Morris in Illinois.

Jay Wiseman currently is the assistant women's coach at Division I Bowling Green in Ohio. He has also been a teaching professional at tennis centers in New York and Indiana.

Gannon said Farrington and Wiseman were selected to be brought on campus from an original group of more than 20 applicants.

"I feel like we have two very good candidates, and we're anxious for them to come in for their interviews," she said. "Obviously, if they come on to campus and we're not satisfied, we could keep the search going, but hopefully that won't happen.

"This is an important hire for us because of the great strides the tennis program has made. We want to make sure we get the best person possible."

Pacelli, who left Southeast after three seasons for a teaching job at a tennis center in Jackson, Miss., led the Redhawks to a 12-11 record in 2006. That was the program's first winning season since 1997.

Gannon said the current Southeast team will meet with the coaching candidates. There are no public forums scheduled, but she said if there is enough interest, that could potentially be arranged by calling her at 651-2997.