OVC Coaching Update

(St. Louis, MO) – Leadership voids are being filled in the Ohio Valley Conference. Monday, Southern Illinois Edwardsville introduced Jon Harris as their next head coach and today (Wednesday) Eastern Kentucky has signed their next coach.

Dan McHale became the 20^th head coach in EKU history by hard work and working his way up the coaching food chain. McHale has worked as a student manager, video coordinator, director of operations and assistant coach for several programs.

Most notably, McHale worked at Kentucky, Louisville and Minnesota. He spent several years working with Rick Pitino and his son Richard.

Louisville’s Rick Pitino told ekusports.com, “Dan is one of the hardest working coaches in our profession,” Rick Pitino said.  “I have great admiration for his dedication to our game.  He is a great addition to our state.”

Minnesota’s Richard Pitino told ekusports.com, “I am extremely excited and proud of Dan McHale,” Richard Pitino said.  “Eastern Kentucky is getting a tremendous coach and recruiter, but more importantly a great person. He will represent the Eastern Kentucky program in a first-class manner. There is no doubt in my mind that he will do great things there.”

For the full EKU release, click here.

Meanwhile, Southeast Missouri is rumored to have narrowed their search down to five possible replacements for Dicky Nutt at the helm of the Redhawk program. The “Southeast Missourian” quotes multiple sources and identifies those five finalists.

According to that sports department, “recently fired Mississippi State coach Rick Ray, former Missouri assistant Tim Fuller, Arkansas assistant TJ Cleveland, Oklahoma assistant Lew Hill and Virginia Tech assistant Isaac Chew as people athletic director Mark Alnutt are considering for the job.”

Click here to read the great article by Rachel Crader and Erin Unerstall.

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