THE LATEST LINE: TWO FORMER SE COACHES MAKING THEIR MARK IN NFL

People who have followed Southeast Missouri State University football for a while might remember their names -- or they might not -- but two former SEMO assistant coaches have quickly made their mark in the National Football League.

Jon Gruden and Marty Mornhinweg, a couple of guys who spent only a brief time in Cape Girardeau, are certainly more well known around the NFL than they ever were around this area.

Gruden is the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles and he is regarded as one of the leading candidate to become the new head coach of either the Raiders or Cowboys.

Mornhinweg is the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, who play the Green Bay Packers today in the NFC Championship Game. He is also regarded as a potential NFL head coach somewhere down the line.

Gruden spent just one season at SEMO, 1988, when he was brought in by former Indian head coach Bill Maskill to coach quarterbacks.

Mornhinweg spent two seasons at SEMO, serving as quarterbacks coach in 1989 under Maskill and as offensive coordinator in 1990 under current Indian head coach John Mumford.

Both coaches quickly made their way up the ranks after leaving SEMO. And both had some decent ties to the NFL.

Gruden father was a former coach at Tampa Bay who went on to become a scout for the 49ers; Mornhinweg was coached in high school by current Green Bay head coach Mike Holmgren, who used to be the 49ers' offensive coordinator.

I got to know Gruden and Mornhinweg pretty well during their short stays in Cape and shared plenty of post-game and post-practice get-togethers.

They both seemed like genuinely great guys and fine coaches but, at the time, who could have guessed they would one day be among the rising young coaches in the NFL?

As time moves on, it'll be neat to see how both of their careers turn out.

* The situation regarding SEMO's men's basketball program and the NCAA appears to be moving closer to a ruling.

Several SEMO officials -- including first-year coach Gary Garner, who was not even with the program when the alleged violations took place -- are scheduled to meet in front of the NCAA Infractions Committee on Jan. 31 in Fort Myers, Florida.

The NCAA is expected to announce its ruling about two weeks later, meaning we should know something by about mid-February.

Traveling with Garner to Florida will be Southeast president Dale Nitzschke, executive vice-president Ken Dobbins, NCAA faculty representative Joe Low and interim athletic director Carroll Williams.

Ironically, SEMO has a home basketball game on Jan. 31 against Eastern Kentucky, meaning Garner is likely to miss the contest, something I'm sure he's not too happy about.

Stay tuned for more details.

* The opening of SEMO's first gymnastics season under new coach Kris Buchheister is right around the corner.

As usual, the Otahkians are expected to field a strong team. Area fans will get to see them in action for the first time during the home opener on Jan. 25.

~Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian