University officials deciding if coaching search is even necessary

~ Kaverman expects to announce soon if Southeast will hire Ishee as Smith's permanent replacement.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- While there is still no guarantee John Ishee will become Southeast Missouri State's permanent head women's basketball coach, comments the university's athletic director made Saturday at least appear to indicate that could happen.

Don Kaverman said at the Ohio Valley Conference tournament that the university has not yet decided -- but soon will -- if it will hold a search to find B.J. Smith's permanent replacement.

After Smith resigned in December -- which followed his placement on paid leave by the university a month earlier -- without ever having coached a game this season, Kaverman said a search would be conducted in the spring.

"We said early on we were going to have a search, but we'll determine that in the near future," Kaverman said.

If a search is not conducted, that appears to mean Ishee -- Southeast's acting head coach since the first game of the season after being hired as an assistant -- would likely be given the job.

Kaverman did not say that, but added: "We're discussing all the options. We're going to evaluate everything, and we're evaluating all that now. I'd say within a reasonable time after the [OVC] tournament, we'll make a decision as to what direction we're going to go."

While crediting Ishee -- who has said numerous times that he would love the job -- Kaverman also praised assistant coaches Lisa Pace and Jenni Lingor, along with the players, for not only holding things together following Smith's controversial resignation but also thriving.

Southeast was picked just fifth in the OVC preseason poll after losing four starters from last year's team that won the program's first OVC regular-season and tournament titles while advancing to the NCAA Division I tournament for the first time.

But the Redhawks surprised just about everybody except themselves by repeating as OVC regular-season champions -- this time with an outright title after sharing last year's crown -- and OVC tournament champions with Saturday's' 62-60 win over Murray State.

The Redhawks (24-7), who will find out their NCAA tournament opponent and site on March 12, have posted the most wins by any Southeast team since the university moved up to Division I in the 1991-92 season.

"It's really a credit to everybody in the program, especially the student-athletes," Kaverman said. "I credit the student-athletes and the coaching staff for keeping everything together. It's been a team effort.

"What this group has accomplished is really remarkable. They were underestimated from the start and to make the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row is a tremendous accomplishment."