MDCUFFIE EXPECTED TO LEAVE SE; SOUTHEAST AD IN LINE FOR EIU JOB

Southeast Missouri Athletic Director Dr. Richard McDuffie is expected to be named the new athletic director at Eastern Illinois University today.

Eastern Illinois has announced a press conference for 2 p.m., at which time its new athletic director is expected to be announced and presented in person on the campus in Charleston, Ill.

Eastern Illinois would neither confirm nor deny that McDuffie is the choice for the school's new AD. McDuffie did not return phone calls from the Southeast Missourian.

However, the Southeast Missourian has learned from a Southeast Missouri State University source that McDuffie will be named EIU's new athletic director.

According to the source, "Everyone says it's a done deal. It's just a matter of formalizing it."

McDuffie has scheduled today as a vacation day and is expected to be on the EIU campus at the time of the announcement.

He has also reportedly called a meeting this morning for all coaches at Southeast.

McDuffie was among three finalists at Eastern Illinois. Tom Spicer of Fort Hayes State and Paul Lueken of Slippery Rock were the two other finalists. Eastern Illinois officials visited both Southeast and Fort Hayes to gather more information on both candidates.

Eastern Illinois has been without a permanent athletic director since Bob McBee was asked to leave last summer. Lou Henken, the vice-president of student affairs, has been the acting athletic director.

McDuffie has been a finalist for several athletic director jobs the past few years, the most recent being last summer when he was a finalist at Southwest Texas.

McDuffie, who has been an athletic director for 20 years, has been at Southeast since July 1989. He previously held the position at North Texas, Central Connecticut and Seattle University.