Tony Samuel fired as Southeast football coach

Tony Samuel has been fired as the Southeast Missouri State football coach.

The university's athletic department made the announcement in a news release Tuesday afternoon.

Samuel just finished his eighth season as the Southeast football coach with a 42-34 loss to Jacksonville State on Saturday. He had two years remaining on his contract.

Samuel was named to the position Dec. 21, 2005, and compiled a record of 31-60 during his eight seasons.

"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," Southeast athletic director Mark Alnutt said in the release. "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."

Southeast finished the season 3-9 and won only three games in each of the past three seasons. Each of the Redhawks' wins came by three or fewer points this season. They won 37-34 in three overtimes against Ohio Valley Conference opponent Murray State on Oct. 12, 37-35 against Division II Urbana University on Nov. 2 and 36-34 against OVC opponent Austin Peay.

Samuel produced just one team with a winning record. Southeast won nine games in 2010 and went from being the last-place team in the OVC to winning the conference title.

Before then, the last time Southeast had a winning record was in 2002, with an 8-4 mark.

The Redhawks finished 2-9 in 2009 and won just one OVC game that season. Southeast opened its season with a 72-3 win over NAIA opponent Quincy University that season before losing 70-3 against Division I opponent Cincinnati.

Southeast followed that with seven consecutive losses against conference opponents, the largest deficit coming in a 24-3 loss to Jacksonville State. The Redhawks' lone conference win came the following week, when they defeated Murray State 49-13.

The next year, Southeast was picked to finish last in the OVC preseason poll and stunned many when it lost just one conference game and claimed the title.

The Redhawks went on to the Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and lost to eventual champion Eastern Washington in the second round after receiving a bye.

That season, Samuel won the OVC Roy Kidd Coach of the Year award and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award, which is given to the FCS national coach of the year, and American Football Coaches Association Region 3 Coach of the Year award.

After that season, Samuel signed a five-year contract extension that gave him an annual salary of $125,000.04 along with 5 percent of revenue from guaranteed football games.

According to the contract, since the university terminated the agreement, "the University shall pay to the Coach, as liquidated damages, an amount equal to one-half the remaining base salary due under the current agreement."

From December through March 2016, Samuel would have been owed $291,666.76, meaning he's due to receive $145,833.38 within 30 days of when the termination goes into effect Nov. 30.

Samuel was hired to replace Tim Billings, who resigned after the 2005 season when the team finished 2-9.

Samuel had been an assistant coach at Purdue in 2005 and was head coach at New Mexico State from 1997 to 2004.

Calls to Samuel seeking comment were not returned.

According to the athletic department's news release, the university will begin a search for Samuel's replacement immediately, but Alnutt will not speak on the topic until a replacement has been found.

"I appreciate the long-standing dedication and support of the Redhawks community as we move forward with our search for a new head coach," Alnutt said. "There will be no further public comment on this matter until we welcome our next head coach at Southeast Missouri State University."

eunerstall@semissourian.com

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