Lifetime of basketball prepared Rekha Patterson to be Southeast Missouri State's women's basketball coach

Since around the time she was in seventh grade, Rekha Patterson has been molding herself for the position she was in on Wednesday.

Patterson was announced as the eighth women's basketball coach in Southeast Missouri State history at a press conference at the Show Me Center.

The moment was a first for the 36-year-old Patterson, who had been assistant at various places over the past 13 seasons.

Her mom, Eva Patterson-Heath, said that her daughter began playing basketball competitively around seventh grade.

Meanwhile, she kept the scorebook for Patterson-Heath's girls basketball team at Red Springs High School in Red Springs, North Carolina, as well as broke down film for her dad Tim Heath's high school boys basketball team.

"This is what she knows," her mom said.

Patterson acknowledged her parent's role in reaching her goal of becoming a head coach.

"I'd also like to thank the people that put a clipboard in my hand and basketball in my heart many years ago, my parents: Tim and Eva Heath," Patterson said during her press conference. "I actually think it's rather extraordinary that both of my parents are in their college halls of fame -- my father in football and my mother in basketball -- so you guys see where I get the pedigree from."

Patterson played four years at North Carolina A&T, the same school her parents completed their collegiate careers, which is when she really knew she wanted to be a coach.

"A lot of my teammates would call me 'coach' because sometimes instead of playing I'd be coaching," Patterson said. "But I knew then, I knew that I wanted to be involved in these young people's lives. I wanted to have a positive impact. I wanted to help develop them and build confidence in them, and then I love winning. I'm rather competitive, and even though as a coach I'm not going to get out there and play with them, but I will give them everything I have from a competitive standpoint and building their confidence."

Patterson said that she was always at the gym during her childhood. Her mother spent 24 years as the coach at Red Springs High School, posting a record of 503-128 and leading the team to 17 conference titles, 11 conference tournament championships, 23 state playoff appearances and two state championship appearances.

"I started out as a cheerleader. I was not a basketball player, I was a cheerleader. And then somehow it clicked where I needed to be playing basketball -- when I got taller than cheerleaders that I needed to play basketball," Patterson said. "So I've always known, I've always been in the gym, and I love the relationship that my mom has with all of her players, and I love how they know that they can call her at any time. That's sort of who I model myself after."

Eva Patterson Heath speaks to Redhawk supporters, Wednesday, April 15, 2015, after a press conference announcing her daughter, Rekha Patterson, as Southeast Missouri State University's new head women's basketball coach. (Laura Simon)

Patterson-Heath has been at Division II Fayetteville State University for the past six seasons as the women's basketball coach.

She was busy balancing being a coach and supportive mother while in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday.

"Today is National Signing Day, so I'm on the phone over here talking to coaches and talking to players because I needed to be here for her, too," Patterson-Heath said. "I have a great staff back at home who's handling the process for us so that I could have an opportunity to be with her today."

Patterson's parents have followed her coaching career closely and were in attendance when Baylor finished the 2011-12 season perfect by winning the national championship game. Patterson was an associate coach and recruiting coordinator for the Bears at the time.

"Watching her at Baylor was extremely exciting, going 40-0 and being part of the recruiting process that brought in the recruiting class with Brittney Griner and all the other girls that played on that team. It's just been an exciting time," Patterson-Heath said. "... Then to be given the opportunity to be the associate head coach at Ball State, leaving Baylor was tough because Baylor's the top, the creme de la creme. She knew that she wanted to be a head coach and she knew that she needed to branch out and so she did that and we just supported everything that she's done, everywhere that she's been."

Patterson discussed the Southeast position with her mom as she prepared for and after her interview with athletic director Mark Alnutt in Tampa, Florida, during the NCAA women's Final Four.

"I just listened and we went along for the ride and encouraged her along the way," Patterson-Heath said. "We made sure that she understood not to rush the process and in her time it would happen, and God doesn't make any mistakes. She truly believes in that and she truly believes that this is her time."

Patterson-Heath said she heard her phone go off around midnight Monday and when she checked it Tuesday morning it was to the news that her daughter had accepted the job.

The two talked on the phone that morning before Patterson's parents departed on a rapid trip to Cape Girardeau on Tuesday afternoon.

Patterson's biggest supporters arrived around 2 a.m. and sat to the right of their daughter as she told Southeast administrators, coaches, suppoorters and local media about the people who molded her into the Redhawks women's basketball coach.

"I learned from an early age the importance of education and have always had a passion for developing young people through the game of basketball," Patterson said. "I had the best role model in the world, and if I'm half the coach that my mother is then the young women in this program will have very successful careers."