Southeast Missouri State University Director of Athletics Mark Alnutt announced Tuesday plans to replace head football coach Tony Samuel, effective Nov. 30, 2013. Samuel had two years remaining on his contract. The decision came earlier today, three days after Southeast completed its 2013 season.
“After conducting a review of the 2013 season, I felt it was the appropriate time to make a change in the leadership of our football program,” said Alnutt. “I want to thank Tony for his eight years of service at Southeast Missouri State University and wish him the best with his future endeavors.”
Samuel, who became Southeast’s 12th head football coach in January 2006, led the Redhawks to their first-ever Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) title and NCAA Playoff appearance in 2010. He was the Eddie Robinson, OVC Roy Kidd and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 3 Coach of the Year after leading Southeast to an overall 9-3 record that season.
Since then, the Redhawks recorded no more than three victories each of the last three seasons, finishing the 2013 campaign at 3-9 overall and tied for seventh in the OVC with a 2-6 mark. Samuel’s teams were 31-60 over an eight-year period.
Southeast will immediately conduct a national search for a new head coach.